An eight-day strike by firefighters started at 9am today as the Government was accused of wrecking the chance of a last-minute peace deal.

Ageing military Green Goddesses were providing emergency cover from barracks in Manningham and Thornbury in Bradford and in Keighley and Yeadon as picket lines formed outside fire stations.

All-night talks were on the verge of a dramatic deal. But hours before the strike was due to start the Government intervened and peace hopes were destroyed.

Andy Gilchrist, general secretary of the Fire Brigades' Union, said it was with "incredible regret" that the strike would go ahead.

And Mick Headon, Yorkshire and Humberside co-ordinator of the FBU said: "I am devastated. I am totally surprised at what the Government is doing. They are going out and out to break this strike and do not appear to want a resolution with the firefighters of this country.

"This is Tony Blair's miners' strike, he will try to crush it, he's wearing Margaret Thatcher's crown."

Mr Gilchrist said his union's executive had decided to suspend the strike after a new pay deal was tabled by employers. He said it would have given a pay rise of 16 per cent achievable over the next year.

"We were prepared to suspend the strike on the basis of a 16 per cent pay rise. But the pattern of Government intervention has continued," he said.

He added that, for the third time in the dispute, the Government had intervened to prevent a deal.

The Government had said it wanted to study the details of the proposed deal but could not do so before 9am, Mr Gilchrist claimed.

"Is this the conduct of responsible Government? We think not. This strike action could have been avoided but the Government has ensured there will be a strike."

He said that, without the intervention, local authority employers would have decided to agree the deal.

Ted George, chairman of the fire employers organisation, said they were "very disappointed" that strikes could not be averted. They had identified areas where long-term savings could be made but funding for the short term had not been found.

He said: "We were very optimistic last night. Unfortunately because of the lack of funding to proceed with that agreement, we have not been able to go ahead."

He added: "I think maybe the opportunity still could be there for further negotiations that could resolve this dispute. We are aware that last week's strike of two days was very damaging across the country and this strike will be for eight days and will have a huge impact on our communities.

"We had hoped we could avert the strike today. Unfortunately that was not to be."

Mac McGuire, Conservative county councillor and chairman of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Fire Authority, said the employers were "literally within a hair's breadth of an agreement" when they were told by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister there would be no funding support from central Government.

He added: "There is over a £200 million shortfall in the fire service bill over the next three years."

Tony Blair's official spokesman said: "We have said any increase has to be paid for by modernisation. It's a question of whether the Fire Brigades' Union is prepared to consider modernisation."

Major Matthew Walton-Knight, who is leading the emergency fire crews at Belle Vue Barracks in Manningham, said: "We learned a lot during the 48-hour strike about how we could be sustained for eight days and I am quite confident we can provide a fire and rescue service for the people of Bradford," he said.

"If the strike lasts for eight days we will be able to cope. Thankfully there wasn't a major incident last time and yesterday we have had very intensive training."

Councillor Tony Niland, (Lab, Bowling) a member of West Yorkshire Fire Authority, said the unions should have delayed the strike while progress was being made.

"If anybody is round the table talking then industrial action isn't needed. I think they could have suspended the strike for 24 or 12 hours while talks were going on."