I AM a trained nurse. I trained for over three years - not six months.

Nurses, in general, work well over the average per week, and there's no resting between call outs.

I went into nursing with my eyes open, knowing I was going into a profession that wasn't the highest paid.

Did the firefighters not know this before their six months training?

Nurses have been fighting for pay increases for years. However, no strike action has been taken for what one reason: ethics.

No nurse with any compassion, dedication or sense of humanity would put a patient's life at risk.

It amazes me that firefighters can say they deserve this hugely over-inflated pay rise because they save lives whereas they are, in fact, putting themselves first. I have no doubt they do a fantastic job but striking is against everything that they say they deserve the rise for.

The armed services have stepped into their role without a second thought and many soldiers earn less than £18,000 and would go to war and fight for their country.

The selfishness of the firefighters is unbelievable. Unfortunately, as someone who is also a member of the public sector, my opinion of them has diminished rapidly.

To finish my rant, the notice at Darlington Fire Station says they want just £8.20 per hour for a 42-hour week. It does not take a genius to work this out to be just over £16,000 a year - in real terms, they are asking for more than double this hourly rate. - Name and address supplied, Co Durham.

"NO Government on earth could yield to a 40 per cent pay demand," said Tony Blair. He also said that the firefighters had been offered an exciting package: four per cent this year, seven per cent next year.

I would be very interested to hear how excited MPs were when their last pay award was announced.

I am a serving firefighter. Perhaps our big mistake was not asking for a fair wage and equate it to the MPs' 42 per cent pay rise. There wouldn't have been a problem at all, would there? - Ian Welch, Durham.

I find the actions of the left-wing fire brigade unionists despicable. Not content with supporting the views of Muslim terrorists, they are now leading our fire service into strikes over pay.

These lunatic militants will have blood on their hands if there are any fire-related deaths due to their stupid 'leadership' and actions.

I also blame the firefighters. Yes, they should get more pay but they knew the pay structure in the service when they went for the job. Get back to work and save lives instead of standing alongside trouble-causing socialists who only care about the publicity they crave for in their Che Guevara decorated offices. - C Wardell, Darlington.

I AM very disappointed at your attitude towards the Fire Brigades Union (Echo, Nov 13).

It would be more honest and correct if you had pointed out that the so-called 11.3 per cent offer means that the first year's rise will be four per cent, if the union agree to certain changes in their duties.

One of the most ridiculous rules is that when they rescue anyone from burning buildings, crashed vehicles, floods, etc, the firemen should give medical treatment if it is required.

Only if the firemen agree to this will they receive another seven per cent.

Will the Government expect the medical teams to help with fire fighting if they want a pay rise?

I think it would be better if The Northern Echo campaigned to get the Green Goddesses replaced by decent vehicles.

Mind you, Tony Blair and Geoff Hoon believe that anything is good enough for our service men and women. - TR McCormack, Newton Aycliffe.

THE firemen claim better pay because they say they put their lives at risk every day of the week. I can truthfully say that I cannot remember the last time our local fire brigade was called out to extinguish a fire.

Almost every man in our village put his life at risk daily because almost everyone worked down the local coal mine. It was a common sight to see the union banner draped in black, the miners marching behind the colliery band as it played the dead match following a funeral procession of a miner killed down the pit where he had been working for a pitiable wage.

It was not unusual for the coal-owners to reduce wages when trade was bad.

Ironically, most local firefighters are miner's sons. Not even Arthur Scargill had the audacity to ask for a 40 per cent pay rise. - G Taylor, Shotton Colliery, Durham.

I WATCHED the firefighters on the picket lines with interest. I wonder if they understand the implications of the strike action on themselves.

They are on strike, therefore they are not in employment. There is a break in their continuity of service as firefighters, which has implications to any pension terms that they enjoy. They technically have no rights to automatic re-employment by their authorities or re-employment on the same terms and conditions.

If re-employed, they would need to buy back the pension rights for the days they are on strike if they want their pensions to mature.

As they are not in employment they have no right to use fire service equipment, premises, facilities etc. They are guilty of theft by wearing their uniforms, which belong to the fire service, when they are not employed as firefighters.

If the strike is to go on for some time, the firefighters could be getting themselves into all sorts of difficulties. - Russ Addison, Durham.