One of the toughest decisions facing Malcolm Eastwood before he retires from the fire service is whether to spend more money on a controversial legal case involving four sacked staff.

The Eastleigh-based fire chief, due to leave Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service by September, has so far met with zero success in his bid to have the sackings confirmed.

The men, fired from Basingstoke for alleged bullying of colleagues, took their cases to court and so far the law - and even deputy prime minister, John Prescott - have agreed they should have their jobs back.

And on Monday the sacked men got another boost, when the Court of Appeal ruled in their favour. That leaves Mr Eastwood and his management team just one further option - to present their case in person at the Court of Appeal.

With the three-year legal battle said to have cost the brigade £2m already, the pressure to bow out of the appeal procedure is enormous. But the signs are that brigade chiefs still feel strongly that bullying is an important issue and that they are in the right.

The brigade's chief spokesman, Mike Gates, said on Wednesday that the decision on whether to pursue the case had not yet been taken.

"We only found out about the ruling yesterday," Mr Gates said. "It's a matter of getting everybody involved together at a mutually convenient time." He said the brigade's legal costs had not been added up. "I don't think we've got all the bills yet."

Asked whether ascertaining the cost so far was essential before deciding to take the case further, Mr Gates said: "We're talking about a very serious issue from the Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service point of view, and that issue and our responsibility to all our staff is the over-riding consideration.

"You can't just decide these things as a matter of cost. We have a responsibility to all our employees. If you've been bullied at work I think you might consider it important. We consider harassment and bullying to be a very serious issue, as a responsible employer."

Roy Goring, of the Fire Brigades' Union, said the message to Mr Eastwood and his management team was: "Give up now."

Mr Goring said: "Now that they've been turned down at that level, I find it very hard to believe they could continue to fight. The FBU has written to the fire authority, asking for the legal cost to them so far and as yet haven't received a reply."

Mr Goring praised the brigade for having a strong policy against bullying: "We absolutely agree on this. There's no place for bullying and harassment in any workplace. It's illegal."