Senior MP 'surprised' top firefighters not suspended after ITV News reveals threatening messages

The Chair of the Home Affairs Select Committee discusses the ITV News report at the inquiry into workplace culture at the fire service

A senior MP has expressed her "surprise" that several top firefighters have not been suspended from their roles after ITV News revealed a Whatsapp group where they called female colleagues "lazy cows."

Chair of the Home Affairs Select Committee Diana Johnson speaking during the inquiry into workplace culture in the fire and rescue service questioned why the senior officers at Shropshire fire service were still in their roles.

Referring to the ITV News report she said: "Some of the things in that Whatsapp group were referring to threats and wanting to kill female colleagues and things like calling women lazy cows, f*****g bints, useless, I would still kill her buddy."

She said she had been struck by the fact the people who made those comments had not been suspended.

Watch ITV News UK Editor Paul Brand's full report on the messages

Last week ITV News revealed the chief fire officer (CFO) and assistant chief fire officer (ACFO) of Shropshire fire service had been part of the Whatsapp group.

Most of the messages revealed by ITV News were directed at former Area Manager Jan Morris, who resigned from the service this year after reading what had been said about her.

Speaking exclusively to ITV News, she said: "I've lost my career. I'm stepping away from the job I've loved for 26 years because I've been made to feel so devalued and unwelcome.

"I can't do it anymore. I can't work with people who think it's ok to do things like that. They don't deserve their jobs, don't deserve to be in those positions.

When pressed on why they had not been suspended Dr Sabrina Cohen-Hatton, Chief Fire Officer at West Sussex fire service and Chair of Improvement Committee, National Fire Chiefs Council she was really "shocked to read the news report."

She said: "It made for incredibly difficult reading" but wouldn't comment on individual cases.

Dr Cohen-Hatton went on to say: "It's not appropriate for colleagues to be talking about one another in that way, adding "we absolutely have to do better, we have to be better than that."

When Ms Johnson asked if firefighters made comments like that at her fire service if they would be suspended Dr Cohen-Hatton said they would "absolutely be subject to a disciplinary investigation."

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