Military personnel are ready to step in to help with looming strike chaos over Christmas
Hundreds of troops are being trained to drive ambulances and firefight in the event of large-scale industrial action, the government said.
Around 2,000 military personnel, civil servants and other volunteers from across government have been preparing as ministers brace for a wave of industrial action across the public sector. The Cabinet Office said they included up to 600 armed forces personnel and 700 staff from the government's specialist Surge and Rapid Response Team, as well as other parts of the Civil Service.
As well as covering for fire and ambulance crews, they could also be drafted in to ports and airports in the event of strike action by Border Force staff.
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