Troops may be called into Northern Ireland if firefighters strike

Firefighters attending a fire at a Belfast scrap metal business in 2021. The union has said it will not cover high-risk calls without an increased pay offer. Photograph: Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service/PA

Hundreds of troops could return to Northern Ireland as cover for striking firefighters, the Guardian can disclose.

The head of the region’s fire service has said the army will be formally requested to provide cover unless unions agree to do so for “high risk calls”. The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) has refused to do so without an increased pay offer.