Strike action by firefighters in a row over pensions has so far cost West Yorkshire Fire Authority £233,600, a new report reveals.

The body’s finance committee will hear tomorrow the cost of contingency plans put in place during a series of walk outs by members of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU).

Firefighters at Bradford and Fairweather Green fire stations were among those to take part in four hours of industrial action on September 25, four-and-half hours on November 1 and two hours on November 4.

A further four-hour strike was held on November 13, although the report to the meeting says the full cost of that has yet to be confirmed.

The document reveals how £118,700 was spent training and recruiting 47 community response operatives to provide cover across the county, while £104,600 was spent on paying overtime and ‘flexibility payments’.

The authority also spent £10,600 on equipment and a further £38,700 on media coverage, including 13 full-page advertisements in newspapers in the area.

However, £39,000 was saved through deductions to the wages of those who took part in the action – meaning the total cost of strike action so far totals £233,600. The report says the cost will be met by contingency funds and a current forecasted underspending in its 2013-14 revenue budget.

Further strike action is being threatened by the FBU, which is fighting Government pension changes which would force firefighters to work until they were 60.

Lee Indricks, Bradford divisional secretary of the union, said the move would be a threat to the safety of the public and crews. The report says while fire and rescue authorities cannot resolve disputes, they have a duty to “deal with the consequences and prepare robust contingency plans”.

It adds: “West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service has put in place detailed plans, policies and procedures to ensure that, as far as is reasonable, the communities of West Yorkshire continue to receive an effective service.

“After four periods of strike action the contingency plans have been tested and proven to be effective although they remain well below normal service standards and are having a major impact on the day to day running of the service.

“Although the costs of the industrial action are not insignificant, they remain manageable and can be sustained at the current levels for some time. The latest announcement by the FBU to escalate the dispute with industrial action short of strike will put further pressure on the fire and rescue authority to fulfil its statutory and moral obligations to deliver a fire and rescue service and there will be implications for staff taking part in such action.”