UP to 450 emergency staff at one of the UK's largest ambulance trusts have formally called off industrial action.

The workforce at North East Ambulance Service NHS Trust, which includes paramedics and other frontline staff, were in dispute over meal breaks.

Their action included an overtime ban and refusal to cover events but not a strike.

The Northern Echo reported yesterday how health union Unison had agreed to withdraw the industrial action after it agreed with the trust's management to accept the findings of an independent arbitrator.

The row follows months of negotiations on a new pay structure within the NHS, which would see the trust no longer pay for meal breaks but still require staff to be available for work.

Liz Twist, the union's regional head of health, said the meeting with the arbitrator would take place on Tuesday, with the decision coming three weeks later.

She said: ''Now we have signed the arbitration document, the industrial action will be withdrawn.''

Ray McDermott, Unison branch secretary for the North East Ambulance Service, said: ''We have had good industrial relations with the North East Ambulance Service since 1999.

''It is a shame that this should break down over one small item. We are hopeful of a positive outcome.''

The trust covers the whole of the North-East region.