THE fire brigade has moved one step closer to taking strike action after it was decided to ballot firefighters across Wiltshire and the rest of the country.

The National Fire Brigade's Union conference has decided that members should take the decision whether to strike over pay levels.

FBU general secretary, Andy Gilchrist said: "Professional firefighters and emergency fire control staff are demanding that they get paid the correct rate for the life-saving job they do, which is £30,000.

"The national fire service employers' are still refusing to say how much they believe a professional firefighter is worth."

The starting wage for a firefighter is £19,000 a year, the same as a police officer, but after five years of training, exams and studying this only goes up to £21,500 a year.

The next raise comes with a long service increment after 15 years.

The government wants a national review of the fire service, which the union maintains is a waste of tax-payers' money.

Mr Gilchrist said: "We already have independent research which shows professional firefighters and emergency fire control staff are underpaid for the job they do.

"We also have independent research which shows the cost of our pay demand would be 41p per week, per household in the UK, which is a small price to pay for the professional service that our members provide."

Ballot papers will be sent out to FBU members next week and the result is due to be announced on October 18, with strike action possibly following as early as October 25.