A GWENT Fire Brigades Union leader today warned Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott that "if he is spoiling for a fight then he's got one."

And Mike Smith, from Rogiet, an executive council member of the FBU in Wales, said Mr Prescott was "personally responsible for this latest eight-day fire strike."

The move came after it was revealed that Mr Prescott refused to examine a draft agreement until 9am today - the strike deadline.

Mr Smith who was in the talks in London this morning between the FBU and fire authority employers that went on until the early hours, said: "We were prepared to suspend the strike this morning after staying up all night, when Mr Prescott was fast asleep in bed."

Mr Smith said the FBU and the employers had brokered a deal around the draft 16% pay rise over two years and a framework, he calls "a watertight agreement", had been reached to discuss the disputed key modernisation issues.

He said the strike would have been averted. Mr Smith said: "I am astonished and appalled by Mr Prescott's behaviour. "We've done practically everything he said - he urged us to talk and not walk. "He urged us to accept the 16% that was put on the table and then he decided he can't accept it and hasn't got the good grace to get out of bed."

At 9am, angry and disappointed firefighters across the county walked out and went back on to the picket line.

And police control rooms were again in charge of dealing with fires and rescues as service personnel manned ageing Green Goddesses.

Maindee station union official Phil Hine said: "We're sad that it has come to this yet again."

But Mr Prescott said the FBU should have called off the strike while the deal was examined by ministers.

Agreeing to it without looking at it first would have been like "signing a bouncing cheque", he said.

PICTURED: Maindee firefighters, from left, John Roberts, Jason Harris, Phil Price, Phil Hine, Nick Henderson, Dean Loader and Darren Cleaves in sombre mood after talks broke down in the early hours of this morning.