Hundreds of firefighters march through Waterloo streets

The march formed up at the Aldwych and crossed Waterloo Bridge before heading east along The Cut and Union Street.

The event was timed to coincide with a meeting of the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority at the Union Street offices of the London Fire Brigade.

The authority wants to change firefighters' shift patterns so that there are two 12-hour shifts each day instead of the current 8-hour day shift and 16-hour night shift.

Fire commissioner Ron Dobson has threatened to sack every firefighter in London and re-employ them on new contracts if the Fire Brigades' Union doesn't sign up to the change.