A “LUNATIC” fire chief has locked out firefighters staging short-burst strikes — and sent them home with a full shift’s pay docked.

Members of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) are striking against government attempts to push through steeper pension contributions and a later retirement age.

The action takes the form of two-hour walkouts over an eight-day period that began yesterday.

But Buckinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service has deemed the action “partial performance” and said workers who walked out would be deprived of a full shift’s pay.

All other authorities will pay firefighters for reduced hours.

Angry Bucks firefighters took to Twitter to condemn “misleading” online statements from management. 

One tweet claimed that the strike had begun on Sunday night, when it was not due to start until Monday morning.

A source close to the dispute blamed the lockout on Buckinghamshire chief fire officer Mark Jones. 

“He’s a bit of a lunatic,” said the source. 

In a recent letter to the local fire authority, Mr Jones wrote that “the decision to no longer accept partial performance of shifts was taken to minimise the service’s losses.”

FBU southern region chair Steve Allen said: “This wholly unnecessary decision will directly impact upon the safety of the public in Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes.

“It is a vindictive action by an employer to punish their local firefighters for participating in lawful strike action.

“We’re appealing to the fire authority and Mr Jones himself to apply common sense and let firefighters do their job.”

As the dispute continued, the FBU yesterday blasted the hypocrisy of Fire Minister Brandon Lewis’s attacks on pensions while himself continuing to claim a “colossal” ministerial package.