THE Army's Green Goddess fire engines could be seen on North-East streets for the first time in 25 years.

The prospect of soldiers being called in to fight fires on Teesside loomed closer following a vote by firefighters to hold a strike ballot.

The dispute is over bitterly contested moves to have all three emergency services share the same control room. The police and ambulance service already work together from a single control room.

Alan Blackley, local branch secretary of the Fire Brigades Union, conceded industrial action could put lives at risk.

He said he had no wish to see soldier firefighters, last seen in action in Britain during the 1977 national strike, on the streets again.

"But we are faced with no alternative," he said. "We have tried to negotiate. We went through a legal disputes procedure, but basically they ignored us.

"We are sick and tired of being given assurances, when every agreement we have had with them has been broken."

His comments came after more than 400 firefighters voted for a strike ballot, with 11 voting against.

Cleveland Fire Brigade executive director Ian Hayton said: "To actually put the community of Cleveland at risk for this dispute is unnecessary, needless and regrettable.

"This should be resolved by discussion and negotiation, not by ballot box politics."

Mr Blackley said the Cleveland Fire Authority had given firefighters six guarantees and had broken two of them.

He said: "We have given them nearly two years. They have now to put up or shut up.