Firefighters in England and Wales staged fresh strikes yesterday in their long-running dispute with the government over pensions.

Members of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) walked out at 6.30am - the ninth stoppage since September.

Under the terms of an agreement between the FBU, central government and fire services, strikers return to work if there is a major emergency which might lead to large numbers of people being put at serious risk.

Firefighters in Kent and Surrey worked during a strike on Christmas Eve because of storm-related floods and damage.

FBU general secretary Matt Wrack said: "The return of Kent and Surrey firefighters to work on Christmas Eve makes a mockery of claims made by a tiny minority of commentators that striking firefighters are 'irresponsible.'

"Firefighters do not want to place the public at risk and support on the picket lines suggests that the public understands that we cannot stand by and let this pension theft continue."

The union said most firefighters who take home around £1,650 a month already pay £320 or more into their pensions and from April 2014 this will rise for the third year in a row to more than £340, with many facing a fourth consecutive rise of 2.2 per cent in 2015.

FBU added that evidence suggests that at least two-thirds of the current workforce could face either dismissal or a reduction in their pensions of almost half because they are unable to maintain the fitness standards required by the Fire Service beyond the age of 55.

The government has criticised the industrial action.

Fire Minister Brandon Lewis said: "A firefighter who earns £29,000 and retires after a full career aged 60, will get a £19,000-a-year pension, rising to £26,000 with the state pension.

"An equivalent private pension pot would be worth over half a million pounds and require firefighters to contribute twice as much."

But Mr Wrack claimed the government was being disingenuous with its figures.

He said: "What firefighters really want to hear is that genuine dialogue and negotiation has begun. Until that happens our campaign will continue."