LIVES will be put at risk in a string of walkouts by Worcestershire firefighters, a union chief has admitted.

City firefighters will trawl Worcester today handing out leaflets advising people about fire safety.

Steve Laugher, Fire Brigade Union secretary in the county, said they had "no choice" by voting to walk out.

"The strikes will most definitely put more lives at risk, including our own families," said Sub Officer Laugher. "We feel as if we have been forced into this."

The two 48-hour walkouts and four eight-day strikes will fall in the run-up to Christmas, including the bonfire period.

"We are not striking on November 5, but we will be the day before and the day after," he said. "People still need to ring 999 in an emergency. They will get passed through to a different control room as the control staff will be strike as well."

He urged people to "take care and slow down" on the roads as fire engine replacements - the Green Goddesses - could only reach speeds up to 35mph.

Worcestershire and Herefordshire will have between five and eight Green Goddesses in action over the strike period.

"They are old and antiquated and are likely to keep breaking down. They will be manned by people from the army, navy or airforce, who certainly haven't got the knowledge of experienced firefighters, so they won't just slot in to our place," said Mr Laugher.

The walkouts are being staged to back a Fire Brigade Union demand for a near 40 per cent pay rise from £21,000 to £30,000.

"We're one of the lowest funded brigades in the country. We're in the bottom three," added Mr Laugher.

"The vote took the form of a postal ballot in secret."

Six separate strikes will start on Tuesday, October 29, and run through to Christmas Eve, although the union decided not to target Bonfire Night or the Christmas season.

The strikes will run from 9am to 9am between October 29 and October 31, November 2 to November 4, November 6 to November 14, November 22 to November 30, December 4 to December 12 and December 16 to December 24.