Firefighters in Suffolk are staging the first of a series of strikes in a dispute over plans to axe 12 jobs.

Members of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) walked out at 07:00 BST today for three hours. Further action is planned for Friday and next week.

FBU general secretary Matt Wrack said: “These cuts will have long-term implications for years to come, making the work of fire crews less safe.”

But Suffolk county council said money saved from cutting three posts and redeploying nine officers could be used to train more firefighters in rural areas.

In 2002, a dispute over modernisation and pay led to the first national strike for 25 years, with the army drafted in to provide basic fire cover.

The strike ended with a deal in June 2003, but since then there have been simmering tensions between the FBU and the government.