CALLS are being made by Julia Mulligan, North Yorkshire’s Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner and Andrew Brodie, interim Chief Fire Officer of North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, for a decent and fair pay rise for firefighters.

This follows ongoing talks having stalled between the different parties on the National Joint Council, the body that negotiates firefighter pay.

Julia Mulligan and Andrew Brodie agree that firefighters have endured a decade of below inflationary pay rises.

She said: "Understandably this has hit them hard and it is high time we turned the corner and finally offer a decent and fair pay rise. We’ve budgeted for two per cent and can afford a rise up to that level.

“We call upon the National Joint Council to agree to a fair, appropriate and deserved pay rise for firefighters, so that we can focus on protecting and improving services.”