Firefighters have rejected the latest pay offer from their employers, after angrily defying their union leadership.

Fire employers made an amended offer on Tuesday, and Fire Brigades Union leaders indicated they were ready to accept.

However, delegates at an FBU conference in Brighton yesterday slammed the offer as "insulting", and expressed frustration a strike planned for today had been cancelled.

A motion at the conference that the employers' offer be rejected "in the strongest possible terms" was easily carried.

FBU leaders now face a difficult fortnight, with the pay offer, and possible strike action, to be discussed before a second conference in early April.

There were no calls made for General Secretary Andy Gilchrist to resign, but he must now deal with considerable frustration within the union.