Redbridge firefighters are set to go on strike this evening to protest against pension changes.

Members of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) will stage their demonstration from 6-10pm both today and Saturday.

Staff from the Ilford, Hainault and Woodford fire stations will all take part in the protests, which are due to happen across the country.

They have been sparked by what members believe are unfair pension changes and unrealistic fitness demands.

Firefighters who take home £1,650 a month and pay £340 per month into their pension pot will be met with a retirement pension of £9,000 a year if they cannot take the physical demands of the job after they reach 55.

FBU general secretary Matt Wrack said: “It is a callous way to treat men and women who have put their lives on the line to protect others.”

During the strike, which is the sixth since the end of the September, crews will attend serious fires in homes, fires which involve gas cylinders or hazardous substances, explosions, road traffic collisions and vehicle fires.

They will not attend grass or rubbish fires or animal rescues and will not go to the aid of people stuck in lifts.