About 100 off-duty and on-leave personnel gathered outside county council offices in Lincoln on Wednesday morning as part of a campaign by the Fire Brigades Union (FBU).

They are calling for starting salaries for firefighters to be increased from �21,500 to �30,000.

Many fire authorities have warned they cannot afford the increased costs such a settlement will entail.

Secretary of the FBU in Lincolnshire Barry Foster said the demonstration had been a success.

He said: "We have had firefighters from Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Derbyshire and Northamptonshire here today.

"The leader of a the Labour group came out and gave a speech in support of our claim.

"We have shown the councillors the support and strength of feeling there is behind firefighters in their claim for a living wage."