FIREFIGHTERS said yesterday they were to mount a legal challenge against the government’s decision to force them to remain on front-line duties until they are 60.

Draconian changes to firefighters’ pension arrangements mean that if they are unable to maintain front-line fitness after the age of 55, they face losing their jobs and part of their pensions.

The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) is involved in a long-running campaign against the decision.

The new arrangement, which came in on April 1, will force firefighters to “ride fire engines, run with heavy fire hoses and carry people out of burning buildings until they are 60,” said the FBU.

Approximately 13,000 firefighters stand to lose out.

FBU general secretary Matt Wrack said: “Sadly, the government has refused to honour the pension arrangements which people signed up to on joining the fire and rescue service.

“This is disgraceful.

“The government has also ripped up previous agreements and it is leaving those who cannot maintain operational fitness with a stark choice — to leave on a severely reduced pension or face the sack.

“We are not going to go away and we will explore every possible avenue to try to achieve a workable pension scheme for firefighters.”

The FBU has collected 50 test cases to support its legal challenge and expects to issue tribunal proceedings on behalf of all of the members who do not have protection in the near future.

In total, approximately five million public-sector workers are set to lose out under the new ageist pension rules.