Firefighters in West Sussex were back on strike today for the second walkout this month.

This time industrial action will last 48 hours, with another strike planned for the weekend.

Fire crews at Worthing fire station, in Ardsheal Road, set up picket lines at 9am to again call for a basic wage increase to £30,000 a year.

In recent months, firefighters around the UK have staged three strikes. Today's two-day strike will be followed by another running throughout the weekend.

Worthing Station Commander Peter Martin said: "This is the last thing we wanted. We are not fighting for pay any more but for the existence of the fire service. The firefighters at Worthing are subdued but determined."

Army and Royal Navy crews were on standby with Green Goddess vehicles.

Pay talks between the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) and the employers have reached deadlock and further strikes are threatened for the coming months.

FBU bosses have accused the Government of being "hell-bent on worsening the British fire service" through modernisation proposals.

In retaliation, fire minister Nick Raynsford said industrial action was pointless and put lives at risk.