TROOPS took to their ageing Green Goddesses on Teesside for their first taste of fire action within minutes of the strike starting.

By 6.10pm, an army crew based at Stockton's TA centre was scrambled to deal with a minor fire at the town's largest supermarket.

Store bosses at Sainsbury's Savacentre called for help after they suspected children of deliberately setting fire to a recycling bin at the back of the shop.

Within nine minutes, Stockton's Green Goddess had arrived at the scene, and easily extinguished the fire using a hose jet.

A spokeswoman for Sainsburys said the crew of six did a decent job. She said: "They were round very quickly and did the job efficiently and in no time. It was only a small fire but they reacted well."

On the way back to base, they were diverted to a suspected fire at Blakeston School, in Junction Road, Stockton, but this proved to be a false alarm.

Hours before their first taste of action, an Army Green Goddess crew based at Coulby Newham, Middlesbrough, explained how they would cope with the change in role.

Senior Aircraftsman Tristan Gill said: "I am ready but it is a big jump from what I am used to as I normally service aircraft."

Trooper Mark Foley was unsure of what to expect. He said: "We are up for it but we don't know what is ahead of us. We can only do what we are trained to do."