Fire chiefs admit to 'systemic discrimination' in the service

'It has to stop, and it has to stop now': The chair of the National Fire Chiefs Council, Mark Hardingham, admits people have had 'terrible experiences'

The National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) has admitted that there is "systemic discrimination" within the fire service.

Outlining a new Culture Action Plan to tackle the kind of toxic behaviour exposed in a series of ITV News reports, the NFCC recognises that "there have been people at the heart of our services who have suffered misogyny, racism, and homophobia".

Over the past eight months, ITV News has exposed sexual harassment, abuse and alleged criminal behaviour across multiple fire services in the UK.

Now the NFCC, which is made up of fire chiefs from across the country, accepts that fire services have "rightly received criticism for not doing enough to tackle these abuses of power, nor have we worked effectively to ensure that a positive working culture is the reality for all those who serve".

Setting out several new targets to improve fire service culture, their action plan says "public trust and confidence" have been undermined by revelations about the behaviour of some firefighters.

In December, ITV News revealed that a firefighter had been allowed to stay on at South Wales Fire and Rescue Service despite sexually harassing a cleaner. Another was kept in post despite being convicted in court of domestic violence.

Weeks later, ITV News uncovered claims of sexual harassment at Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service, while a manager at Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service was promoted while under police investigation for alleged rape.

In its new Culture Action Plan, the NFCC concedes that attempts to improve culture across the sector have been "uncoordinated, slow and sometimes ineffective" and that "outcomes are not yet being seen far or fast enough".

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It has made several recommendations and appointed the Chief Executive of the White Ribbon Charity, Anthea Sully, to help implement change. The charity, which works to end violence against women and girls, removed several fire services from a list of organisations it supports, following ITV News's reporting, condemning the behaviour we uncovered.

The NFCC action plan follows a separate damning report by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS), in March, which found bullying at every fire service in England as well as misogyny, racism and homophobia in a quarter of them.

HMICFRS made 35 recommendations, including standardised DBS checks on firefighters to ensure that they are safe to be employed.

However, neither HMICFRS nor NFCC has the power to force fire services to adopt all of their recommendations.

Minister for Policing, Chris Philp, said it's his expectation that fire and rescue services now use enhanced DBS checks to ensure 'only people who are fit and proper to serve' are employed

Yesterday, the Fire Minister for England Chris Philp told ITV News that he had changed the law to allow for tougher DBS checks. But so far the government has not enforced them, leaving victims concerned about the scope for significant change.

ITV News's investigation has also sparked several independent reviews into the fire services which we have exposed. A review into Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service is expected to report back in September, while one into South Wales Fire and Rescue Service is due back by the end of the year.

In July, a joint investigation by Dorset and Wiltshire Police services found no evidence of criminality at Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service. In January, ITV News reported that firefighters had allegedly shared photographs of female road crash victims. ITV News reported claims at the time that much of the evidence had been deleted before police were alerted.