Striking firefighters sent hate mail

The letter was the third for Whitstable's firefighters

Striking firefighters at Whitstable Fire Station have received hate mail from an anonymous writer.

The note, the third received since the industrial action began, accuses them of being lazy and suggested they should be sent to war in Iraq.

Those on the picket line say that they will not be demoralised by the messages and are calling on members of the public who do not support their action to talk to them directly.

Fireman Martin Coombs said: "We haven't really taken it very seriously.

"Whoever wrote it hasn't bothered to put his name to it, so as far as we are concerned it doesn't matter.

"It's the third one we've had so we will put it in the bin with the rest of them."

The latest walkout began at 0900 GMT on Tuesday and is due to last 48 hours - with a further strike planned for the weekend.