A number of Isle of Wight gas engineers are among those expected to return to work tomorrow (Tuesday), after five days of strike action.

The members of GMB are opposed to what they say is a 'fire and rehire' threat by Centrica - which owns British Gas.

According to the union, around 4,500 British Gas engineers and around 2,000 other workers, from across the UK, downed tools on Thursday.

Among them were Islanders.

Engineers have been responding to emergencies, however.

The action followed an earlier strike ballot by GMB, in which it says 89 per cent of those who voted supported taking industrial action.

GMB says further strikes are possible in the future, if the dispute is not resolved.

In a statement, Centrica accused the union of a 'weak' mandate.

It said: “The GMB leadership is stuck in the past, fighting against modernisation and failing to understand that customer demands are changing; customers want better appointments and we need more flexibility to deliver for them.

“If we can’t change the way we work then we can’t do this, and our customers will turn to our competitors.

“Our new terms are fair and the majority of our workforce – including thousands of GMB members – accept that we need to change.

“We now expect to see well over 75% of our colleagues to have accepted by the end of the year."