A four-hour walk-out by firefighters, due to take place tomorrow (Saturday) has been called off.

Members of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) were due to strike between 6.30pm and 11.30pm.

But a spokesman for Kent Fire and Rescue Service has announced the industrial action will now not go ahead due to "ongoing discussions between the FBU and the government."

The strike would have been the second in four weeks.

The last walk-out was staged on September 25 between noon and 4pm when firefighters across the country joined the picket lines.

The row with the government centres on the pensions paid to firefighters who retire between the ages of 50 and 60 due to ill-health or not meeting fitness standards.

Unions say firefighters who retire early will be unable to claim their full pensions despite, in some cases, decades of service.

Mark Simmons, Kent secretary of the Fire Brigades Union, said: “There’s no one out there who wants firefighters forced to work until they’re 60. It could affect public safety.”