Striking firefighters staging their latest 24-hour walkout today insisted they were determined to keep fighting for more money.

Crews at Worthing fire station in Ardsheal Road were again calling for a substantial wage increase, despite Government resistance.

In recent months, firefighters across the UK have staged two strikes and today's is set to be followed by two more 48-hour walkouts, with the next planned to start on January 28.

At the Worthing picket line this morning, Station Commander Peter Martin said: "We have got public support but it might take a knocking if this does not get sorted out very soon.

"We're in a very difficult position. The Government does not want to back down and we're not going to. What's going to happen is anyone's guess.

"When we strike we are not getting paid and the financial implications of that are starting to hit home now, with the eight-day strike coming out of this month's pay packets.

"We have got single parents here today and this is not a decision we have taken lightly but we are still determined to stick to it."

Fire Brigades Union branch secretary Andy Hockley said: "This country has the most efficient fire services in the world, not to mention one of the highest-performing public sector groups.

"It has never stopped modernising and now deals with a wide range of incidents, most of which it is not funded for.

"I have not spoken to a single firefighter who wants to be on strike but we feel we have been left with no alternative following the attacks that the Government have made on us both personally and as a service on the whole."

The pay dispute began because it was felt average firefighter wages of £21,500 a year were significantly lower than other public sector workers.

Cover during the strike will again be provided by Royal Navy crews manning Green Goddess fire engines.

Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott told the union there was no need for industrial action which he warned would "achieve nothing".

He told MPs: "It will only make it more difficult to settle this dispute. It is damaging and it poses a danger to public safety."

Mr Prescott insisted that the Bain Report into the fire service, which recommended an 11 per cent pay rise over two years, heavily linked to modernisation, gave the framework for a deal.

But the FBU said normal negotiations were being ruled out because of preconditions being set by fire authority employers, including commitment to the Bain proposals.

The union has complained these include a two per cent cut in jobs every year for the next four years, changes to the pension scheme and fewer firefighters on duty at night.

General secretary Andy Gilchrist, who was today due to visit crews in Crawley and Brighton, said after yesterday's meeting of the union's executive it was "greatly disappointing" for firefighters and control room staff that the strike was going ahead.

The union is also planning two 48-hour strikes from January 28 and February 1 and is expected to call further walkouts over the next few months if an improved offer is not made.

Mr Prescott said the Government had "robust and tested" contingency plans in place to provide emergency cover.

Shadow defence secretary Bernard Jenkin today joined the debate and called on ministers to ask the Attorney General to outlaw the strike in the run-up to potential war with Iraq.

"I don't think many people have any idea what a huge fiasco this is causing in the armed forces," Mr Jenkin said.

"This is throwing the armed forces into a crisis."

Asked what his message to the FBU would be today, Mr Jenkin said they were a "bunch of idiots" and a disgrace to their country.