SWINDON firefighters were today joining delegates from around the country to vote on strike action.

The meeting in Manchester was expected to result in a vote for an all-out nationwide firefighters strike the first since 1977.

And if it goes ahead, the streets will see the return of the archaic Green Goddesses.

These machines were commissioned by the Government in the early 1950s in response to the public's growing fears over the threat of nuclear war.

And today there are fears that if the Goddesses are enlisted, the old machines will struggle to cope with the sheer volume and nature of emergency calls.

Leading firefighter Joe Tray, Wiltshire and Swindon secretary for the Fire Brigade Union, was one of 200 firefighters travelling to the conference.

He said: "The Green Goddess equipment is really basic. It takes four years to train someone to operate the appliances we use today.

"It is not just the driving but a lot of the pumps are computerised and involve technical equipment.

"No disrespect to the army but they haven't had the training needed which is why they still have to use the Green Goddesses. They are soldiers at the end of the day."

Around 2,000 Green Goddesses were made 50 years ago, but it is estimated that just under half that number would be available to serve in the event of a strike as many were sold off to museums or given to Third World countries.

Volunteers from the Auxiliary Fire Service, part of the UK Civil Defence Organisation, were trained to operate the vehicles in the event of war breaking out during the Cold War period.

The Green Goddesses, painted in accordance to the official colours of the Home Office of the day, were intended as a go-anywhere appliance based on a standard British army transport truck.

The Green Goddesses have a 300-gallon capacity, fed to a 900 gallon per minute pump.

They have a maximum speed of 40 mph, while the high centre of gravity led to many of the vehicles overturning when driven at speed on normal roads.

They are no match to the technologically advanced modern day fire engines, which can reach speeds of up to 70 mph and hold 400 gallons of water.

The union is seeking a salary of £30,000 for qualified firefighters and control room staff.

Firefighters are paid £21,531 a year at the moment, while fire control officers are paid 92 per cent of this rate.

A new pay formula is also on the union agenda to replace the current one, which was born out of the only ever national strike in the fire service in 1977.