A STRIKE ballot by fire fighters looks increasingly likely after talks between union officials and Cumbria Fire Service chiefs broke up without agreement this week.

The union has accused the fire service - run by the county council - of cutting fire cover to the bone.

Now all 600 members of the Fire Brigade Union will be asked if they want a possible ballot.

FBU brigade secretary Tony Callister said feelings were running high over the issue.

The dispute has blown up over cuts to front line fire cover in the county, including halving the number of buildings where a turntable ladder is automatically sent, and sending one rather than two fire crews on call-outs triggered by automatic fire alarms at commercial premises.

Chief fire officer Michael Elliott said the changes, based on risk assessments, would allow fire fighters to spend more time promoting fire safety in the community and working on initiatives such as increasing the number of smoke detectors in homes.

But the cuts have come under fire from FBU regional secretary Howard Western, who said: "It appears that Cumbria wants to aspire to the lowest level of fire cover that legislation allows.

The situation will be fully explained to all our members over the coming days and they will decide whether or not a strike ballot takes place."

Union officials said they were "staggered" by the county fire service's refusal to negotiate over the cuts.

A similar dispute involving Merseyside fire fighters was resolved after management agreed to delay changes until they were reviewed by a working party.

"Senior management in Cumbria refused to enter into a similar agreement and maintained that they would continue with their cuts in front line fire cover," said Mr Western.

The union fears the cuts will lead to job losses in the future because the fire authority may not replace all three ageing turntable ladders - manned by full-time fire fighters at Barrow, Carlisle and Workington - because they will be needed less often.

But Mr Elliott has refuted the union's claims.

He said: "This is not about cutting costs or jobs.

It's about maximising the use of fire fighters to carry out community fire safety work and to protect the public."

The union expects to make a decision on whether to call a strike ballot early next month.