PEOPLE are being urged to take extra care this weekend when firefighters across the county go on strike.

The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) has announced its members will strike between 12-5pm today, between 2pm-2am on Saturday and between 10am-3pm on Sunday due to its continuing dispute with the Government over pensions and working arrangements.

The Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service (RBFRS) has put contingency arrangements in place, and chief fire officer Andy Fry said: “We are urging people to be exceptionally careful during the forthcoming strike action. “As with previous periods, we will still be answering and responding to 999 calls, although we will be prioritising ‘life critical’ incidents, such as house fires and road traffic collisions where people are trapped. “We are also asking people to reduce demand during the strike period by only calling 999 in a genuine emergency. “For non-emergencies, please call the appropriate organisation – for example, a locksmith if you are locked out of your house or the local authority if a tree has fallen in the road. If you do have a fire, our advice remains to get out of the house, stay out and call 999.” For more fire safety advice and information on the industrial action visit www.rbfrs.co.uk