THIS is the Red Goddess that has been donated to the armed forces providing emergency fire-fighting cover in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.

Only three of the vehicles are in use in the country and it is hoped the Red Goddesses will provide a more efficient firefighting service for the remainder of the dispute.

The vehicle will come in especially useful during the next strike, which has been confirmed from 9am on Wednesday, December 4 until 9am on Thursday, December 12.

With a top speed of 70mph the Red Goddess is also equipped with a higher-pressure hose system and a longer 10.5 metre ladder, designed to make firefighting easier for the armed forces.

The Southampton vehicle, which has the added benefit of seatbelts, came online at 2am yesterday after crews completed a 48-hour conversion training package to familiarise themselves with the new machine.

Chief petty officer Phil Cupples said the Red Goddess would be a great help when fighting fires.

He said: "We can put out the majority of fires just using the high-pressure hoses within a minute of arriving and we can use those for a good ten minutes before linking up to a hydrant.

"If we get a really large fire the older Green Goddesses are slam doors and they're quite cumbersome, whereas these are the shutter doors and there's a lot of spare space for extra equipment."

County Commander for Hampshire Mark Durkin added: "It's not something that's mindblowing and will get us on a par with the fire service in any way, shape or form.

"There's no doubt they're providing an uplift in capability. Our main concern is to provide as good a service as we can for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight."

Hampshire Fire Service spokesman David Askew said the Red Goddess would benefit the military during the strike.

He said: "The fire service appliance will be a little better than the Green Goddesses, but as long as the crews have been trained in how to operate them properly there won't be a problem."

Mr Askew added it would be business as usual for the retained fire stations across the county and that the military would continue to provide cover.

This week's 8-day strike was due to finish early today.