THE disclosure that the whole of East Lancashire will be covered by just nine old 'Green Goddess' fire engines during the firefighters' strikes has already come as a great shock.

But the grim revelation today that this is all we can depend on is absolutely frightening.

For now we are told that in Lancashire virtually all the county's retained firemen -- the part-timers who augment the brigade's manpower -- will also be joining the 36 days of strikes set to take place between now and Christmas over the crews' 40 per cent pay claim.

Elsewhere in the country, retained officers, most of whom belong to a different trade union from the regular firefighters, are expected to stay on duty, providing a fair level of cover. But, by contrast, all but ten of Lancashire's retained firemen belong to the Fire Brigades Union waging the strikes and are set to stay out too.

And because the fire stations in East Lancashire's smaller towns have a high level of dependency on retained firemen, the effect of the stoppages will be more severe.

With the lives and safety of more than 500,000 people and thousands of homes, business premises and works normally protected by 35 fire engines and 154 firefighters on a typical day in East Lancashire, the consequences of them soon being covered by just nine, 50-year-old tenders manned by barely-trained troops are chilling to consider.

And with the clock ticking away to the dreadful prospect of lives being lost, property destroyed and key public services crippled as a result, it is surely time that the opportunity was seized for some agreement to be hammered out to prevent it.

Most people, we believe, would agree that the firemen have a case for more pay -- though nothing like as much as 40 per cent more. And if they are to retain any public support, in these last vital days before the strike deadline they and their leaders will have to show they are willing to negotiate before they unleash what can only be disaster.