Drivers on First North Western trains are to hold three 48-hour strikes after talks to finalise a pay deal broke down.

The company said talks with Aslef collapsed after the union refused to accept demands for increased productivity.

But the union hit back, accusing the firm of trying to "sabotage" the deal.

The strikes will now begin on 13 August, 27 August and 10 September.

Aslef had agreed last week to halt the walkouts after a deal to improve drivers' salaries from �24,000 to �28,000 over two years.

But it said the firm had since demanded more increased productivity, including drivers being required to pick up litter at train stations.

First North Western said the productivity increases were needed to fund the pay deal.

But Aslef general secretary Mick Rix said: "We believed that a deal had been reached between Aslef and First North Western.

Negotiations

"Unfortunately this was not the case and management at First North Western have reneged on what we believed was a positive agreement for both sides in this dispute.

"Negotiations on productivity were ongoing and it is outrageous that the company has introduced these new, and frankly unacceptable, proposals without consulting its workforce."

The deal would have meant drivers getting a 7% pay rise this year, 4% next, and 8% in the third year.

Services across the North West are likely to be affected by the stoppages, including the Manchester Airport to Cumbria and Manchester Piccadilly to North Wales mainline routes.