TWO Green Goddesses and a team of Royal Navy firefighters have been sent to the Island to cope with the forthcoming national fire strike.

Island emergency planning officer Mike Jolliff told the Daily Echo that the top priority for crews would be to save lives.

He added that property would be allowed to burn if lives were at risk at other emergencies.

He said: "The priority will be saving life.

"Protection of property will be secondary."

Emergency calls to the Island's fire control room will be rerouted to Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service's control room at Netley and then diverted to a temporary operations centre on the Island being run by senior Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service staff.

The first in the series of strikes is a 48-hour stoppage planned to start on 9am on Tuesday.

Mr Jolliff said that the emergency crews would not deal with flooding, petrol leaks from cars, trapped pets or even people who are trapped in lifts.