I FEEL that I need to respond to two of the letters from Saturday, November 16, regarding the strike by firefighters.

J Holding of Horwich does not seem to understand the situation at all by saying that the strike will cause problems for travellers at Christmas. Well, he obviously is getting mixed up with the airport firefighters, who are not connected to the local authority firefighters' strikes.

Then there is his point about the economy collapsing around us because of the rise in pay, but fails to mention the rise offered to 60,000-plus consultants of more than double the fire rise, which in his world obviously won't damage the economy. I fail to see that a rise of 40 pence per week per household will wreck the economy and put up interest rates.

The second letter from K Deighan says it's rare that firefighters put their lives on the line? Well, Kevin, they do that every time those big red doors open and they go out with blue lights on, because they are not immune from accidents either, just like lorry drivers.

As for the services using the fire appliance. They are quite welcome to do so, but having the equipment doesn't mean they will operate any better, as was shown in the accident in Leeds when it took firefighters five minutes to free a trapped driver after the forces had been there for more than 60.

None of this, of course, the fault of the services, but the Government. You wouldn't give a firefighter an SA80 rifle in bits and expect him or her to put it together and be an expert with half a day's training, would you? I say half a day because that's how much training my friend in the Navy has had.

Before you write to these columns, I suggest that you go and find out the real story of why you had the armed forces giving you fire cover, instead of believing all the Government spin.

D Darby

Buckley Lane

Farnworth

Bolton