HAMPSHIRE Fire Brigade union officials have hit out at government recommendations to have less firefighters and appliances available throughout the night.

Union chiefs held an emergency press conference at Winchester's North Walls fire station yesterday to discuss some of the issues that have come out of a government review into how to modernise the fire service in line with pay adjustments.

They admitted that more calls are attended during the day but they claim that on close examination a more alarming picture emerges.

Figures for the UK last year showed:

241 people died at night - 92 more than during the day

7,000 were injured at night - nearly 5,000 more than during the day

22 children died at night - more than double than during the day

1,100 children were injured at night - more than double than during the day

117 people over the age of 59 died at night - 34 more than during the day

1,248 people over the age of 59 were injured at night - more than double than those reported during the day

A spokesman said: "These statistics alone vindicate our position on this issue. Less firefighters and appliances available at night will only see these saddening figures increase. The FBU will never sign up to something so obviously dangerous and damaging to the public.

"A government elected by the people, for the people, should never even suggest that we should."

Firefighters across the county had been due to walk out again for eight days from 9am this morning.

But the action - aimed at winning a 40 per cent pay rise - was called off after conciliation service Acas intervened on Monday.

The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) and the firefighters' employers will now make separate submissions to Acas over the next few days in the hope of finding a breakthrough to the deadlocked pay row.

But the FBU warned another eight-day strike, due to start on December 16 and run until Christmas Eve, would go ahead if there was no agreement.