SECURITY guards at the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading are on strike for a week over pay and conditions.

The 21 guards, employed by privateer Kingdom Services Group Ltd, are members of general union Unite

They are seeking a pay rise to put them broadly in line with NHS rates – they propose £12 an hour for security guards and £13 for supervisors, up from their current hourly rates of £8.89 and £9.89.