AMBULANCE crews who provide emergency cover for much of the region have voted to take immediate industrial action.

Paramedics and other qualified crew members will not work overtime, reducing emergency cover at peak times.

It will also mean ambulance crews belonging to the Unison union will refuse to provide voluntary cover for events such as football matches, race meetings and concerts.

However, ambulance bosses believe it will be unlikely that it will lead to the cancellation of major sporting and entertainment events because many crew members do not belong to a union.

The ballot for industrial action was held after Unison and the North East Ambulance Service (NEAS) failed to reach agreement in a long-running dispute about pay rates for meal breaks.

Ambulance crews who work for the service are not paid during meal breaks, in line with a national pay agreement.

Unison wants the crews to be paid during the breaks.

As a compromise, the NEAS offered to pay crew members £20 if they respond to a call during a break.

Some Unison members have agreed to accept the payments and respond to calls, but others have refused.

That meant potential gaps in emergency cover.

Dave Armstrong, of Unison, said 80 per cent of members who took part in the ballot backed action. He said it was disappointing that the sides had not reached agreement. He accepted 999 coverage would be "stretched" at times because of the action.

NEAS chief executive Simon Featherstone said he was bitterly disappointed at the outcome of the ballot, despite efforts to resolve the issue.