West Midlands fire chief suspended

The boss of West Midlands Fire Service (WMFS) has been suspended from his post.

Mr Lee was appointed chief executive on an interim basis in March following the death of chief Wayne Brown in January.

The fire service released a statement on 7 October saying the decision to suspend Mr Lee is "not one it ever wanted to have take or takes lightly".

It said the authority took independent legal advice before making the decision, which is subject to ratification on 14 October.

“If this is upheld, a process to appoint an independent person to investigate will be undertaken. You will understand that it would not be right to comment further on the specifics", the statement read.

“In what has been a very difficult year for West Midlands Fire Service (WMFS), it is hugely deflating for all involved that we have reached this point, and we realise this will cause further public concern."

But, the statement read, the service remains "fully focused" on delivering a "vital and outstanding" emergency service.

Last month, the interim boss Mr Lee said he had turned down the permanent position of fire cheif and described the authority's governance as being "wholly impossible".

Directly addressing the incident, the statement said: “The issues that Mr Lee raised publicly concerning the governance of the Fire and Rescue Service will continue to be investigated independently, and reported to the Fire Authority for consideration.

"They will also share such findings with our external auditors, His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services, and other such key stakeholders as necessary.”

The fire service said the day-to-day running would continue under its deputy, Simon Barry.