Firefighters face disciplinary action for sleeping on floor

On a 15-hour night shift, firemen are allotted time to rest between emergencies and running through their training drills.

They are allowed to put their head down for up to three hours - but they are not supposed to nod off.

Indeed, the men and women of the Greater Manchester fire service have been told they can only rest in prescribed reclining chairs - and only after they have been trained to use them.



Now, however, three experienced firemen are facing disciplinary action over "involvement in the use of unauthorised rest facilities".

Fire chiefs are looking into claims that they defied their orders to rest only on the £400 reclining chairs, which were installed as a replacements for beds in Greater Manchester's 41 fire stations last year.

They are accused of breaking regulations by deciding it was more comfortable to use their own sleeping bags and bed down on the floor. Officials say this could cause accidents when they and their colleagues scramble to respond to 999 calls.