Thugs who attack firefighters in the North face up to two years in jail under tough new plans, it was warned today.

Northern Ireland’s firefighters tonight donated their £50,000 (€70,960) hardship fund to the victims of the Asian disaster.

The threat of fire service strikes in the UK was averted today after employers and firefighters’ union leaders reached agreement following a bitter dispute.

The firefighters’ pay dispute in Britain was due to flare up today with the threat of fresh industrial action because of a breakdown in the deal which ended the last conflict.

The UK needs at least 1,000 extra firefighters to deal with the threat of terrorist attacks, union leaders there said today.

Firefighters’ working at the scene of the devastating nursing home blaze, which claimed the lives of 10 elderly people, were left “extremely distraught” by today’s tragedy, the Fire Brigades Union said.

Almost 2,000 firefighters returned to picket lines across Northern Ireland today in the latest stoppage in a long-running pay dispute.

Thousands of people are marching through central London, UK, to support the firefighters' dispute.

The British firefighters’ strike is in its final full day today as informal talks resumed between both sides in the bitter dispute, with little prospect of a deal being agreed.

British Chancellor Gordon Brown has rejected a 16% pay deal for the firefighters saying it is "simply not affordable" and could not be funded from the taxpayers' purse.

Firefighters will consider any serious and significant offer on pay during talks aimed at averting an eight-day strike, one of their leading trade union spokesman in Northern Ireland claimed today.

Firefighters have left an Essex picket line to aid police and Green Goddess crews at a house fire.

Firefighters in Britain are to go ahead with a national strike tomorrow evening after last-ditch peace talks collapsed today.