POLICE and the military in Gwent have vowed they will not cross firefighters' picket lines to bring out red fire engines during the eight-day strike.

The idea had been floated by the government as a way of obtaining more high tech equipment for the armed forces than the Green Goddesses which were back on our streets again today.

Gwent Police said last night that obtaining those engines "would be a matter for the miltary".

And the Association of Chief Police Officers said that police officers would not be sent across picket lines.

A spokesman for the Army at brigade headquarters in Brecon said they would not be crossing the picket lines either.

One red engine had been made available to the armed forces in South Wales from the fire service college in Gloucestershire. The Army spokesman added: "The office of the deputy prime minister has given us two red engines for Wales (one in the south) from the Moreton-in-the-Marsh National Fire Training College.

"At present we do not know where they will be stationed, but their deployment will be flexible."

He said the cover would be the same as during last week's 48-hour walkout. Asked whether the servicemen and women's morale was low because of having to cover for the firefighters when an attack on Iraq was a possibility he said: "These servicemen and women are trained to defend life and they are happy to do this worthwhile job in the community. We are here to minimise the risk to life and last time we did a good job and we hope to continue to do that as long as we are needed."

Green Goddesses are stationed at: Raglan Barracks in Newport, Monmouth, Beach-ley, Abertillery, Cwmbran, Blackwood and Caerphilly, and they are being manned by 150 service personnel.

All 999 calls are again being diverted to police control rooms.

PICTURED :Maindee firefighters Phil Hine, left, and John Roberts prepare their strike banner