SOLDIERS from the 4th Regiment Royal Artillery have been given the task of providing emergency cover for a huge area, from Seaham, in County Durham, in the south, to Berwick, in the north.

The regiment was one of the busiest during the first 24 hours of the firefighters' national strike and responded to more than 40 incidents during the first night.

Incidents included a burnt out car on a council housing estate near Consett, County Durham, and a minor house fire in Gateshead.

Last night, soldiers from the regiment, who are based at the Kingston Park Territorial Army barracks, near Newcastle, claimed they were coping well with the rigours of front line firefighting - despite the ageing equipment they were being forced to use.

A total of 385 men from the regiment are being supplemented by 115 from the 6/36 Battery 40 Regiment Royal Artillery, along with staff from the RAF and Coldstream and Grenadier Guards.

In all, they have at their disposal 23 Green Goddesses, 2 Rescue Equipment Support Teams (RESTs) and 11 Breathing Apparatus Rescue Teams (BARTs).

Commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel Mark Neate, said: "We have trained for some time to use Green Goddesses. There have been no problems with any of the equipment. It is old, but well maintained."

Soldiers providing fire and rescue cover have been split into teams doing 12-hour shifts, with 12-hour breaks.

Second Lieutenant Piers Webster said: "We've had a few weeks to train up, which has built our confidence in using the equipment.

"Last night, we went to a car fire and took about 15 to 20 minutes to get there with a police escort.

"The car was all but burnt out when we arrived and was not a risk to anyone nearby, so we were able to let it die out."

Lance Bombadier Dave Elstob, 27, from Darlington, was waiting yesterday for his first call-out, having come on shift during the day.

The former Branksome School pupil, a member of "blue shift", had been serving in Osnabruck, Germany, before the regiment was deployed to the North-East to provide fire cover.

He said: "Until the firefighters come to an agreement we are here to stay.

"This is a firefighter's job, but we have been asked to do it. We're making the best of the kit we have got, and are just getting on with it."