Firefighters in Essex are to stage five strikes over the coming months in a dispute over cuts.

The Fire Brigades Union said its members will take industrial action on June 28, July 7 and 18, August 18 and October 18.

The union said the county will have lost one in five frontline firefighters since 2008 if a current round of planned cuts goes ahead.

But Essex Fire Chiefs remain confident that the need for strike action can be averted, despite the announcement.

Chief Fire Officer David Johnson says talks with employment organisation ACAS will go ahead on Monday, and he is hopeful union officials will accept the offer from senior managers to attend.