The first firefighters' strike in 25 years will begin at 1800 GMT on Wednesday, following the collapse of talks about pay.

Angry exchanges saw union leaders accusing employers of leaving no alternative but industrial action, while employers said they would not give in to "bully-boy" tactics.

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Andy Gilchrist, Fire Brigades' Union general secretary

The intervention of the Bain report yesterday [Monday], which set out some of the most dangerous and damaging proposals that anybody in the fire service in living memory can remember, I think scuppered the talks today.

We've carried ourselves with tremendous dignity and maturity and responsibility throughout this dispute

Andy Gilchrist

The employers... were left with no alternative.

What we're taking on here is an issue about professional pay for some of the most magnificent public servants in the country and indeed, the world.

Let me say that it's very clear to all and sundry across the nation, we've carried ourselves with tremendous dignity and maturity and responsibility throughout this dispute.

And I have to say those people in those parts of government who have sought to provoke a national fire service dispute, they need to look squarely at their conscience about what will happen tomorrow evening.

This is the only report in living memory to come out on the issue of the public service and recommend longer hours.

Andy Gilchrist praised firefighters' "dignity" during the talks

I do not see how a report which effectively dismantles a fine professional fire service can be used to bargain on the issue of pay.

The fact is, our members deserve a significant rise in pay.

We have set our claim out, with research, at �30,000. To offer at this late stage four percent - not with strings but ropes - is simply unacceptable.

Our members are the ultimate humanitarians, but it is a fact that when they are on strike they will not be able to respond [to emergencies] in a coordinated fashion - the government needs to give that close scrutiny.

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John Ransford, Local Government Association

The UK fire employers offered the Fire Brigades' Union an increase of pay for its members of 11.3% over two years, subject to satisfactory completion of negotiations to deliver real and lasting changes to the fire service.

This at a time when the national rate of inflation stands at 1.7%.

We will not yield to unrealistic union wage demands, nor capitulate in the face of bully-boy tactics

John Ransford

The FBU claims that the fire service has been modernised.

But modernisation is a continual mechanism by which lives can be saved.

Today we should be able to use firefighters where and when they're most needed to protect our communities.

We are unable to do so because the FBU prevents change.

All other workers are allowed to work overtime, but firefighters are prevented from doing so due to restrictive union policy.

Firefighters can save lives by the use of defibrillators, but union policy prevents this.

The length of working shifts are not attractive to woman applicants.

The FBU oppose change in working patterns to create a more family friendly service.

We wish to move towards joint call handling facilities with other blue light services or neighbouring brigades.

The FBU policy prevents this, therefore we cannot make efficiency savings to reinvest to the good of the service.

We have said all along through these negotiations that local employers could not fund an offer of more than four percent and were unlikely to do so unless significant changes were implemented to the service.

John Ransford called on the FBU to help modernise the service

The offer made today, along the lines of the Bain recommendations, is 11.3%, and that could only be delivered with the financial underwriting of government.

Government has not indicated that it is prepared to fund any negotiated increase at this time.

We urge government to respond to this matter.

We really do hope that the public will understand why we must remain resolute in our insistence that any increase in pay must deliver a more streamlined, focussed and flexible service.

We will not yield to unrealistic union wage demands, nor capitulate in the face of bully-boy tactics designed to hold this country to ransom and put lives at risk.

We really do hope that firefighters will reflect carefully on their union's actions on their behalf, in rejecting what we believe to be a fair and reasonable offer.