FIREFIGHTERS on Teesside have agreed not to take unofficial strike action which could have put lives at risk.

Some firefighters were threatening to strike before a union ballot takes place next week in a dispute over heart attack victims.

The official union ballot on strike action is still likely to go ahead next week. If supported, it could leave Teesside without fire cover.

New directives have ordered that Cleveland fire crews, who are trained in first aid, must carry life saving equipment to help heart attack victims should an ambulance fail to arrive in time.

The Fire Brigade's Union says its members should not have to attend non-fire incidents to help out the ambulance service.

The union is planning to ballot members next week on possible official strike action, but some officers were planning to refuse to respond to paramedic requests in the meantime.

The move raised fears that the public in Cleveland could be left with no fire engines available to respond to emergencies.

Ian Hayton, executive director of Cleveland Fire Brigade, last night welcomed the news that the union had agreed to withdraw unofficial industrial action.

He said: "I still believe that firefighters have a vital life-saving role to play here, and it is not the case of them replacing paramedics."