The latest strike by firefighters ended today as fresh attempts to kick-start peace talks were being made in a bid to avert further action.
Military officers said some of the armed forces personnel providing emergency cover had a quiet time during the 24-hour strike.
Army crews had no major incidents to deal with and there were only false alarms and minor incidents.
A spokeswoman for the Ministry of Defence said: "It has been a very quiet night in Essex, much quieter than during the previous two strikes."
The Fire Brigades' Union last night wrote to the conciliation service Acas in a bid to allow talks to resume later this week, possibly tomorrow, ahead of two 48-hour stoppages from Jan-uary 28 and February 1.
Published Wednesday, January 22, 2003
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