FIREFIGHTERS in Bolton say they will return to the picket lines next week -- regardless of whether troops manning Green Goddesses are needed for a war against Iraq.

They say they will strike again for 24 hours next Tuesday if the current industrial dispute is not solved.

The Fire Brigades' Union has called a 24-hour walkout on January 21 followed by two 48-hour stoppages on January 28 and February 1 over their long-running campaign for a near 40 per cent pay rise.

The renewed commitment to strike has been condemned by David Crausby, MP for Bolton North-east and who sits on the Parliamentary Defence Group.

He said he was "disappointed" with their stance, which he claimed would put the armed forces under great pressure if military action is launched against Iraq.

But firefighters in the town believe they have a legitimate claim to a pay rise and will continue to fight for it.

A member of staff at Bolton North station, who did not wish to be named, said he felt the war was being used by Number 10 to turn people against the firefighters.

He added: "I feel that the Government will use anything against us at the moment. All along they have tried to create negative public opinion and make us out as bad people.

"The Government has enough money to go to war, but not to give us a pay increase.

"And whether people agree with the war or not, it looks like it is going to go ahead. These really are two separate issues."

Mr Crausby, an expert in defence issues, said a prolonged fire strike could seriously harm the war effort in Iraq.

He added: "At a time when there is the possibility that there could be a war, the armed forces are already under a great deal of pressure themselves without having to worry about possible fire strikes.

"It was thought that the pay dispute would be resolved before this point, but that is not the way it has gone in the end."

Local authority leaders were today holding a crucial meeting to agree a pay offer to firefighters in a last ditch bid to avert the series of fresh strikes.

The employers have made it clear they will stick to recommendations in the Bain review into the fire service of a 4% pay rise now, followed by a 7% increase later in the year, but heavily linked to modernisation.

The union has rejected the Bain report out of hand and claimed it had been told that the 11 per cent was non-negotiable and would be linked to 4,500 job losses and the closure of scores of fire stations.

FBU general secretary Andy Gilchrist has repeated that, if the employers did not improve the offer, there would be no point in the union attending peace talks at the conciliation service Acas tomorrow.

But there was little sign that the olive branch would be accepted by the Fire Brigades Union and they intend to press ahead with a one-day strike next Tuesday, and 48-hour walkouts on January 28 and February 1.

The strikes were called after talks last Thursday when FBU leader Andy Gilchrist said fire authority chiefs had made a non-negotiable offer of 11 per cent over two years, closely tied to modernisation, which was totally unacceptable to the union.

But the Local Government Association, which represents the employers, insisted that no deal had yet been offered and urged the FBU to attend talks scheduled for today. If there is no agreement, dates for further walk-outs could be confirmed later this week.

During the last round of strikes, Bolton firefighters stressed that they did not want to walkout, but because they felt undervalued they had no choice.