FIVE years ago these four Hampshire men were frontline firefighters rescuing people from burning buildings and the wreckages of car crashes.

Then their lives were shattered when they were suspended and subsequently sacked following allegations of bullying and harassment.

Now after years of investigations and legal wrangling, they have been cleared by the office of Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott.

The bill for the saga runs into hundreds of thousands of pounds - some have even estimated it runs to £2 million - in lawyers' fees, officers' time and the cost of interviewing and bringing witnesses to give evidence from across the country

But the county's fire chiefs refuse to reveal exactly how much council taxpayers' cash has been thrown into the case or whether the men will get their jobs back.

The Daily Echo can reveal they are even considering splashing out on a judicial review of the Prescott office findings - another pricey and time consuming investigation which could cost taxpayers even more thousands of pounds.

And if the former firefighters decided to take the service to an employment tribunal the bill could shoot up even higher.

Dean Mills, Fire Brigade Union southern regional secretary, said: "People living in Hamsphire have been paying for this - for Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service's mistakes, for court and legal fees, and for the time of the management who should be doing other things.

"It's a sad situation that we are in. The public of Hampshire is not getting the service it deserves.''

One of the sacked firefighters, Richard Thoroughgood, 31, from Marchwood, said: "This has ruined our lives and that of our families. It has cost a fortune to do this - what was the point?''

Full story, see pages 8&9 of tonight's Daily Echo