HAVERING firefighters are staging a second strike today (November 1) in a row with bosses over shift patterns.

Crews from Romford, Hornchurch, Wennington and Harold Hill fire stations are joining teams across the Capital in an eight hour walk-out, which started at 10am and will finish at 6pm.

It follows an eight-hour strike last Saturday (October 23)

A third, 47-hour strike, is planned - controversially - to take place over busy Bonfire Night, starting on November 5 at 10am and lasting until 9am on November 7.

A private company called AssetCo is providing emergency fire cover across the borough and London.

A London Fire Brigade spokesman said: “The London Fire Brigade’s contingency plans have, for the second day of FBU strike action, been rolled out on schedule. All 162 contract staff providing the fire and rescue service in the capital today are either now available or waiting to be deployed from the Brigade’s training centre in Southwark. During the day 27 fully crewed appliances will operate, responding to 999 calls received.”

The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) is demanding Essex fire crews refuse to assist London incidents while their colleagues are on strike.

Union bosses claim Essex staff would be overstretched, putting Essex lives in danger.

Essex crews will be balloted about the proposal on Wednesday (November 3), in time for the Bonfire night walk-out.

The action follows plans by the London Fire Brigade to sack all firefighters over their refusal to change their shift patterns and contracts.