WILTSHIRE fire crews were called out 20 times during a 24 hour strike by members of the Fire Brigades Union which ended at 9am today.

Five fires, two forced entries, five automatic fire alarms and a co-responder medical emergency call were among the incidents dealt with by stand-in crews and retained firefighters.

The Malmesbury and Corsham crews dealt with a car fire on the M4 and colleagues from Cricklade went out to a car fire at Dorcan, Swindon, but it was out when they arrived.

Royal Wootton Bassett firefighters dealt a medical emergency and a blaze in a waste compactor in the town.

Other incidents around the county involved freeing a person who was locked in their car at Salisbury, putting out a tent fire in woods at Chippenham and helping a carer locked out of a building in Marlborough.

Ten of the 24 fire stations in Wiltshire were out of action during the strike, which is one of a series staged by the union in its dispute with the government over pensions changes and job cuts.

Another seven-hour strike is planned for tomorrow, starting at 10am.