A rail union says members will be taking further strike action in a dispute over the role of guards on Greater Anglia trains.

The Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union said a 24-hour strike will take place on Saturday, June 16 and Saturday, June 23.

RMT general secretary, Mick Cash said: 'Despite strenuous efforts by RMT reps to reach a negotiated settlement to this dispute, the vital safety role of the guard is still under threat and the extension of DOO [driver only operation] remains a serious risk.‎

'Nothing that the company has put forward in recent talks resolved this fundamental issue.'

Mr Cash said RMT Greater Anglia conductors have been instructed to take two days of industrial action.

Jamie Burles, Greater Anglia managing director, said: 'We are very disappointed that the RMT has called two further strikes. We'd like to reassure customers that we plan to run a full service using our contingency conductors should the strikes go ahead.'

'In recent weeks, we have continued to hold constructive talks with RMT union officials and we hoped to resolve the dispute through these talks.

'We continue to guarantee the role of our highly valued conductors on our trains. We're keeping them on our trains, but we want them to concentrate on customer service rather than opening and closing doors.'