Deputy First Minister Jim Wallace urged firefighters to call off strike plans and take part in the pay review which reports in December.

Mr Wallace was speaking after he had taken part, via a radio link, in a meeting of the Downing Street committee for national emergencies, known as Cobra.

He updated the committee, convened by Prime Minister Tony Blair, on the situation in Scotland.

Strike dates

0900 29 October to 0900 31 October (48 hours) 0900 2 November to 0900 4 November (48 hours) 0900 6 November to 0900 14 November (8 days) 0900 22 November to 0900 30 November (8 days) 0900 4 December to 0900 12 December (8 days) 0900 16 December to 0900 24 December (8 days)

He said the Scottish Executive would continue to work with others to put in place emergency cover arrangements.

But he admitted these would fall well short of normal cover.

About 100 ageing "Green Goddess" fire engines will be deployed across Scotland, replacing more than 500 modern fire engines.

The 50 year-old vehicles will be manned by 1,800 armed forces personnel who will take the place of 4,588 full-time firefighters north of the Border.

The government has set up an independent review to come up with proposals for improving the pay and conditions of firefighters.

However, it is not scheduled to report until December.

Full-time firefighters

Mr Wallace said that the independent pay review was the best way forward.

He said: "It is not too late for the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) to call off their strike plans and participate in the review."

He added: "That way, we can work towards a resolution that avoids a damaging and dangerous strike."

The Scottish Emergencies Co-ordinating Committee, chaired by Jim Gallagher, head of the executive's justice department, is due to meet later this week.

That meeting will include representatives of the army, councils, and emergency services.

But there is no sign yet that full-time firefighters will back down from plans to begin a series of walkouts on 29 October as part of their campaign for a 40% pay rise.