A former soldier now on strike with fellow Sussex firefighters is earning £203 a month less than he did six years ago in the Army.

Lee Armstrong swapped life in a crack infantry regiment for the public service's front line.

Until six years ago, he was a rifleman in the Royal Green Jackets and might have been riding a Green Goddess on emergency shouts with his former colleagues.

As a soldier in one of his battalion's reconnaissance platoons, he was taking home about £1,111 each month when he left the Army.

As a firefighter with three years' experience, he takes home about £908.

Today he will be returning to work at Roedean fire station in Brighton after eight days on the picket line.

Mr Armstrong said: "The Green Goddesses are doing brilliantly. They are soldiers and sailors, they are told to do a job and they will do it to the best of their ability.

"But the best equipment in the world does not mean you can use it, you need to have that knowledge and experience."

Mr Armstrong, 28, said: "I was on a bit more in the Forces. It is true on paper we are paid more, we have a higher wage, but I think that does cancel itself out, the wages a serviceman is being paid is money in their pocket.

"We have still got to pay the mortgage or the rent, pay for electricity and gas and other bills, and on top of that we have got to save any extra money if we are going to buy a house."

Mr Armstrong has been an East Sussex firefighter for three years and will not get the £21,500 qualified firefighter's salary until he has served for four.

Then it is a long haul. The only guaranteed pay rise is to £22,300 after 15 years' service.

The pay formula is the one brokered to end the last national firefighter's strike 25 years ago and the men and women on the picket lines believe it should be brought up to date.

A fellow firefighter on Roedean's Green Watch with 17 years' service is earning £22,300, a figure he compares against the £28,900 a police officer with similar rank and experience would get.

Mr Armstrong said: "Don't look at the fact it is a 40 per cent pay rise, look at the fact we want to earn £30,000 a year."

Meanwhile, the next eight day stoppage, due to start on Wednesday, looms.

Mr Armstrong said: "We feel really, really let down by the Government.

"No one wants to be out here - but spirits are high."