FIREFIGHTERS in North Yorkshire are finally set to receive medals commemorating the Queen's Golden Jubilee - more than a year after the main celebrations and without any ceremony.

A fire service memo leaked to the Evening Press revealed that the brigade has only just taken delivery of its medals.

The document also revealed that, in accordance with advice from the Deputy Prime Minister's office, there must be no formal presentations, and nor is the press to be involved.

Instead, human resources officers will be delivering medals to each station.

Now firefighters are speculating that the delay and lack of ceremony are connected with Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott's attitude towards them, following their pay dispute.

"It looks a bit suspicious," said Jeff Morrow, chairman of the York branch of the Fire Brigades Union.

A spokeswoman for Mr Prescott's office said today she believed the delay was connected with the time taken to mint the medals. "We cannot mint them all at the same time."

She said it would not be normal or appropriate to stage a presentation ceremony for commemorative medals, and there was therefore no need to request the press to become involved, although there was no ban on reporting the matter.

A fire service spokesman confirmed that about 830 staff were entitled to receive the medal.

Updated: 10:58 Wednesday, June 25, 2003