Strike-breaking firm has only 27 fire engines to cover London

Fire chiefs have drawn up emergency plans to protect London with 27 engines compared with the usual 169 if firefighters strike.

A private firm is being paid £12 million to provide 700 civilians to operate the tenders after the Government banned brigades from relying on the Ministry of Defence's Green Goddesses.

The Standard understands that private firm, AssetCo Fire and Rescue, would use fire engines it already provides to London Fire Brigade.

The move to crew them with a civilian force would be seen by the Fire Brigades' Union as an attempt by the Tory-controlled London fire authority to break a legal strike.

The authority was forced to make contingency plans as relations with the union deteriorated after a five-year failure to agree new shift patterns for firefighters.

London's 5,500 firefighters are currently being balloted by the FBU on strike action, with a yes vote expected on Thursday. AssetCo, which is based in South Ruislip, won a seven-year contract to provide an "emergency fire crew capability service" in London in the event of terrorist attacks, flooding or a pandemic.

The company counts former London deputy fire commissioner Roy Bishop - who was honoured for his handling of the 7/7 terrorist attacks in 2005 - among its senior staff.

It is believed to rely on retired firefighters and part-time firefighters from the home counties.

FBU spokesman Paul Embery doubted whether all 700 civilians would report for duty as many had signed up believing they would help in the event of a flu pandemic and not to help break a strike.

He warned that the civilian force would struggle to deal with major incidents. "If someone is trapped in a fire, minutes matter," he said.