EMERGENCY services are urging people not to make non-urgent calls today as a strike stretches police, fire and ambulance services to the limit.

Around half of Greater Manchester's emergency services support staff are expected to walk out in a row over pensions.

They will join council workers, school and probation service support staff, and some public transport staff, who are threatening to bring Britain to a standstill.

Concerns were raised over how Bolton's public and emergency services will cope under the strain.

The strike will also close the majority of secondary schools and nearly a quarter of primary schools in Bolton because support staff will be on strike.

Chief Supt Dave Lea, head of Bolton police, said around 40 per cent of police support staff in Bolton were members of UNISON, one of the unions staging the strike.

But he said he was not yet clear as to what action would be taken on the day and how it would be supported.

"We will be able to cope but obviously there will be a bit of a reduced service," he said.

The police chief is worried about the closure of the town's schools and the effect this could have on his force if staff decide to take the day off to look after their children.

"Many of our staff will have childcare commitments because their children won't be at school. It's the knock-on effect that it could have across the force."

Public sector workers are furious at Government plans to remove a rule which allows council workers to retire at 60 on a full pension if their age and years of service add up to 85 years.

Across the country, more than one million workers are expected to take part in the strike, which will mark the highest level of unrest in the public sector since the 1926 General Strike.

Schools across Bolton have been urged to close on health and safety grounds by the National Union of Teachers, as school caretakers, dinner ladies and school assistants are all expected to take industrial action.

Council chiefs in Bolton have had to re-organise vital services in a bid to reduce problems.

Tuesday's bin collections have now been organised to take place on Saturday and extra waste will be picked up if bins are full.

Liberal Democrat councillor Roger Hayes, the council's executive member for environmental services, said the strike would effect council services quite seriously.

But he said the council had had constructive talks with the union until late on Friday to try to find ways to make sure the most vulnerable people in Bolton will not be affected.

"I think we have made some progress and we are trying to minimise the effects, but I think it will be a very well-supported strike. Employees do feel very strongly about this issue," Cllr Hayes said.

Cllr Andy Morgan, a Tory councillor for Hulton, said: "We're concerned about the situation. Things are probably going to get quite chaotic, but this is a legal strike and there's nothing we can do about it.

"We've received assurances from the unions that the emergency services will be manned and people reliant on social services and schemes like Home Care will not be stranded.

"People need to understand that unless it's a real emergency, there will be no point contacting the services in Bolton."

Paul Warburton, UNISON branch secretary of Greater Manchester Fire Service, said: "All our members are asking for, is to be treated fairly and equally with our colleagues in the other public sectors.

"Teachers, nurses, civil servants, police and firefighters who we work with and support, have all had their pensions protected.

"Local government pension members have been singled out for unfair and unjust treatment."