FORTY firefighters walked out of Basingstoke fire station on Wednesday - sombre but determined to make their point during the first fire strike for 25 years.

Only two Blue Watch firefighters refused to take industrial action in the first strike shift - possibly enough to run a special equipment unit, but with many of the town's retained firefighters also supporting the whole-time union members, there was not enough back-up and the West Ham station shut down just after 6pm.

All the other watches at Basingstoke were similarly pro-strike, so it was down to the Royal Navy-manned Green Goddesses and breathing apparatus truck parked across the town at the police station to provide cover until the first 48-hour strike finishes tonight at 6pm.

Thankfully, Basingstoke was quiet during the first 14-hour shift, but the Hampshire and Isle of Wight control centre, run jointly by Royal Navy and senior fire officers, received 21 fire-related calls - including four malicious hoaxes in the first hour.

A Navy spokesman said: "This is very irresponsible. The Green Goddesses have got enough of a job without having to respond to calls that aren't genuine."

Only eight Green Goddesses and three retained teams were deployed in the two counties, and a fire spokeswoman said 14 calls were automatic fire alarms triggered off by the bad weather.

Sixteen firefighters stayed on the picket line in Basingstoke throughout the night, despite the wind and rain.

They maintained that taking strike action was the last thing they wanted, and that they have been forced into this action by an unfavourable Bain report, offering an 11 per cent pay rise instead of the 40 per cent they have been asking for.

Blue Watch Firefighter Chris Walsh said: "I am Basingstoke born-and-bred, and I have been a firefighter for 15 years. I never thought I would ever vote in favour of going out on industrial action, but I have had enough. It's taken a long time to come to this."

Firefighter Jim Hutchen said the pickets received several messages of support, gifts of food and £60 from friendly members of the public.