AT the fire brigade negotiations this morning, a strike was snatched from the jaws of a settlement.

The employers and the Fire Brigades Union talked long into the night, holding out the prospect of a deal. But then the union representatives left, hopes were dashed, the strike was on.

Union general secretary Andy Gilchrist blames the Government for the breakdown. He said his team were ready to accept a new pay deal and stop the walk-out, but the deputy prime minister insisted on seeing the details at 9am - the time of the start of the strike.

If this account is accurate, John Prescott has committed a crass blunder. But we should not be surprised.

A feature of this long-running dispute has been the Government's two-faced approach. One minute ministers are insisting the row has nothing to do with them; the next they are barging into delicately-poised negotiations.

Ministers order the local government employers to sort it out. They then insist that councils must bear the extra costs of any deal - without increasing council tax.

On one point, however, the Government is right: the firefighters must modernise as part of any deal. They deserve more money, but their working practices are outdated. The union's insistence on a "no strings attached" salary hike is not acceptable.

So here we are, at the start of an eight-day firefighters' strike. Lives are again at risk in fires, road accidents - and on the river. This latter peril was brought home after a student was pulled from the Ouse in the early hours of this morning.

Only York firefighters have the capability to launch a quick river rescue in the city. Just one more thing to worry about for the next week.

It is absurd that this is happening when a deal was so close.

The Government should intervene again, but more positively. Mr Prescott must endeavour to bring all parties back around the table to complete this morning's unfinished business.

Updated: 11:21 Friday, November 22, 2002