LOCAL authority employers are expected to put forward a last-minute pay offer to increase firefighters' salaries to more than £25,000.

The proposed deal has been drawn up in a desperate bid to avert an eight-day strike due to start at 9am tomorrow.

But Worcester firefighters said until they knew the details of the deal they could not comment on whether the action would be called off.

"All I can say is that the 16 per cent that has been reported would be a good starting point for negotiations," said Steve Laugher, brigade secretary of the Hereford and Worcester Fire Brigades Union.

"It is linked to modernisation, but we don't know as yet what they mean by that.

"If it means reducing the fire service we would raise serious questions about that."

The latest offer would increase pay from the present £21,500 to £25,000 by this time next year.

The union is campaigning for a 40 per cent pay rise.