Date: 9th February, 2023
When Chief Fire Officer Ben Ansell gave statements to the media last week, he made clear that he was unable to talk about individual cases for legal reasons. However, it is also of vital importance, and indeed in the public interest, to demonstrate to the public that we treat sexual misconduct allegations with the utmost seriousness.
We can confirm that, following an independent investigation, on 22 May 2022, an individual was found by a disciplinary committee on the balance of probabilities to have committed gross misconduct. The sanction for such gross misconduct was summary dismissal.
To the frustration and disappointment of the Service, the individual had earlier already given notice of his intention to retire, and, given the length and complexities of the investigation, he was able to retire before the sanction could take effect.