FIREFIGHTERS in Swindon have accused the Government of moving the goalposts over plans to change retirement age.

Joe Tray, Swindon spokesman for the Fire Brigades Union, said that some of his members feel cheated after paying into schemes for 30 years.

Yesterday, a series of rallies and protests were held across Britain as part of a day of action by tens of thousands of council workers, NHS staff, teachers, firefighters and civil servants over the controversial plans to raise their retirement age.

The Government has been under fire for months after announcing that it intends to up retirement age for local authority and NHS workers and civil servants from 60 to 65.

Firefighters, who can currently hang up their helmets and boots at 50, now face having to work an extra five years.

No protests have yet been held in Swindon in any sector but Mr Tray said that firefighters are getting increasingly hot under the-collar.

"Firefighters, like nearly everyone else in the public sector, are in for a raw deal and they're not very happy about it," he said.

"A 50-year-old firefighter who joined when he was 20 faces having to work five extra years.

"In good faith, he would have paid 11 per cent of his annual salary into the pension scheme.

"Now he's being told that he'll have to change his plans."

Existing police forces have been told that their pension schemes will not be affected by the changes.

"We don't believe that this is fair," said Mr Tray. "Our view is that the Government is changing the goalposts."

"Our view is that the Government is changing the goalposts."

The TUC argues that pay is often lower in the public sector than in private firms, and stress levels higher, so a decent pension has always helped make up for this.

Yesterday, in later editions, Martin Wicks, secretary of Swindon TUC, told the Evening Adver-tiser: "The Government is seeking to 'reform' public sector pensions that is, make public sector staff work longer, for lower pensions.

"This will result in a multi-billion pound tax giveaway to the rich."

Swindon health and education bosses both confirmed that they were not aware of any immediate plans for strike action.

But 2,000 ballot forms giving members the option of industrial action have been issued to council workers by Unison and the Transport and General Worker's Union.

These must be returned by March 9.