Dangerous Essex Chief Fire Officer David Johnson vowed yesterday to deploy a skeleton hotch-potch of scabs to fight blazes on New Year's Day rather than pay full-time professionals to do the job.

The £148,266-a-year boss was accused of jeopardising locals' safety as he smeared firefighters in the county joining a six-hour strike in England and Wales.

Mr Johnson has told Essex Fire Brigades Union (FBU) members not to bother clocking on for the rest of their shift when a six-hour walkout ends at 12.30am on New Year's Day.