The long running firefighters dispute finally came to an end today when union leaders accepted a 16 per cent pay deal.

The Fire Brigades Union decided to bring the nine month long row to a close, ending one of the most bitter industrial conflicts for years.

A recalled national conference of the union meeting in Glasgow voted by three to one to accept a ''final'' offer which will increase pay by 16 per cent over two and a half years in return for modernisation of the fire service.