A UNION for Kent firefighters is backing the police force in its fight for a pay rise and said the Government was treating its frontline officers like "slaves".

Kent Police are currently deliberating along with thousands of officers across the country what action they can take after the Government decided to cut their proposed pay rise.

The force is prohibited from resorting to industrial action by law, but the Kent branch of the Fire Brigade Union said officers should have the right to walk out over the way they have been treated.

Kent secretary for the Fire Brigade Union Harry Sawyer said: "I think the way the police are being treated is absolutely disgusting. The police should have the right to walk out if things do not change.

"Anyone who doesn't have the right to strike is a slave to their employer - they must put up, shut up or leave and the Government is exploiting the police in this way."

Hundreds of officers gathered for an emergency meeting to discuss what actions they should take after Home Secretary Jacqui Smith announced last week that she would not back date an agreed police pay rise of 2.5 per cent to September.

Her decision brings the rise down to 1.9 per cent and puts it in line with government targets for pay increases for the rest of the public sector. All police officers, except for those in Scotland, are affected.

Kent Chief Constable Mike Fuller was among a number of senior officers who wrote to Ms Smith expressing deep concern about her decision.

He said: "We are anxious because so much of policing depends on goodwill. We cannot compel officers to carry firearms, we cannot compel them to guard Home Office prisoners and we cannot compel them to take part in hostage negotiations.

"That goodwill has been severely damaged. My greatest concern is that we will end up with demoralised and demotivated officers who feel that, more important than the money, there has been a breach of principle and trust."

Firefighters across the UK famously went on strike in 2002 over a dispute about working conditions and pay, leaving the military to run the ageing "green goddess" fire trucks in their absence.

Mr Sawyer said while the service had not wanted to resort to a strike, he believed it had helped wages to rise by around 25 per cent over the past few years.

"The fact that (in 2002) a service greatly valued by the public and that provides good value for money had to resort to industrial action is indicative of how this Government values its emergency services," he said.

"A 2.5 per cent pay rise barely covers the increased cost of living as it is, and to go back on this when the Government knows the force cannot strike is appalling."