Striking firefighters have been accused by their managers of intimidating colleagues who want to return to work.

A spokesman for West Midlands Fire Service said that police were investigating an incident of stone-throwing at West Bromwich Fire Station on Saturday evening.

He also accused striking firefighters of making threatening phone calls and damaging the cars of staff who opposed industrial action.

The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) has denied the accusations.

At stations where we can get fire engines on the run then we're having more than the usual number of pickets Dave Glenis West Midlands Fire Service

Dave Glenis, speaking for West Midlands Fire Service, said that the intimidatory tactics were in response to waning support for the strike during the first of last week's two 48-hour walkouts.

Mr Glenis said: "Come Monday (of last week), a lot of people were saying they were ready to work.

"By Tuesday, we had six fire engines at five stations.

"But on Saturday night, we had only one fire engine and by Sunday night we had none."

"At stations where we can operate fire engine then we're having more than the usual number of pickets.

Intimidatory tactics

"At West Bromwich we had 30 to 40 pickets, and those numbers alone we feel are intimidating."

West Midlands Fire Service's deputy chief fire officer Frank Sheehan said the pickets' actions were directly responsible for preventing firefighters from working.

"As intimidatory tactics started to become widespread, more and more people felt unable to cross the picket lines," he said.

"They felt intimidated by the events that were going on and consequently returned to strike."