The Fire Brigades Union has called off planned strikes after reaching an agreement with employers in the long running pay and conditions dispute.

The move came after talks on Thursday aimed at resolving the stand off which has been running for nearly two years.

After a failure earlier this month, when the union accused the government of sabotaging an agreement, the two sides signed up to a deal that will see pay rises implemented in exchange for the reform of working practices.

FBU assistant general secretary Mike Fordham said agreement had been reached by "patient negotiation and goodwill on all sides".

"I hope that we can now put this dispute behind us and look forward to stability in the future and rebuild the trust and partnership which has been lacking recently," he added.

The Local Government Association added that the agreement "signals the beginning of a new era for the UK's fire and rescue service".