IN the face of three national firefighter strikes, Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service is reassuring communities that a professional service will be maintained in the county.

The Fire Brigades Union has called for members to engage in strikes over national pension arrangements from 9am to 9pm on Thursday, June 12 and Friday, June 13 as well as Saturday, June 21 from 10am to 5pm.

Around 130 full-time staff and a smaller number of retained firefighters in the county are members of the Union and could potentially strike.

However Chief Fire Officer Stewart Edgar said: “We have significant contingency plans in place in the county, which have been proven to be effective in previous strikes.”