London firefighters who abused colleagues face the sack as report reveals toxic culture
The head of the London Fire Brigade (LFB) has vowed to sack firefighters who bullied colleagues or have been racist, misogynistic or homophobic as he vowed to take a zero tolerance approach.
Commissioner Andy Roe’s comments come after a damning independent report revealed the “toxic culture” in the LFB, with accounts ranging from women being groped during training exercises to people having their helmets filled with urine.
The report, which makes 23 recommendations, is based on the experiences of 2,000 staff members and found the LFB was “institutionally misogynist and racist”.
Mr Roe told Sky News he was “horrified”, “heartbroken” and “very disappointed” by the findings, describing the behaviour as “inexcusable”.
He added: “The change has to start now. We will be the first service in the country to introduce body-worn cameras for our own staff safety and to reassure the public.
“We will be conducting a historic five-year case review and where we find people have not met the standards of behaviour we clearly expect in a zero tolerance culture to this stuff, we will dismiss them.”
Mr Roe apologised to Londoners and the “2,000 people who raised their voice”.
Read more: ‘Toxic culture’ of London Fire Brigade revealed – with abuse disguised as ‘banter’
The review concluded the capital’s fire service has “dangerous levels of ingrained prejudice against women”.
They had to run a daily gauntlet of sexist abuse – with many routinely referred to as “woman” or “front bottom” by colleagues.
Other women were even punched and attacked, the report found.
Some men had explicitly said they did not want women on their watch and there were multiple accounts of women being subjected to unwanted sexual attention.
‘Mock noose above locker’
The report also revealed other incidents such as a black firefighter who was subject to racist bullying which culminated in someone putting a mock noose above his locker.
And the review referred to a Muslim firefighter, bullied because of his faith, who had bacon put in his sandwich by his colleagues.
‘I expect to dismiss people’
A female firefighter told the review that the threshold for bullying is so high “you would have to gouge someone’s eyes out to get sacked”, adding: “Everything else is seen as banter.”
But London Fire Commissioner Mr Roe told a briefing at LFB headquarters: “We are going to take a zero tolerance approach to bullying and harassment and discrimination.
“What that means, if we think about the immediate steps, is that I expect to dismiss people as a result of this report.”
Asked how many could lose their jobs, he added: “If we find that you have behaved in a way that is highlighted in this report, there is not a place for you in the London Fire Brigade. In a way the numbers don’t matter to me.”
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Nazir Afzal details some of the information he was given during his investigation into conduct within the London Fire Brigade
The review was led by Nazir Afzal, a former chief crown prosecutor for the North West.
He said: “My review found evidence that supports a finding that LFB is institutionally misogynist and racist.”
The report was established in response to the death of firefighter Jaden Francois-Esprit, who took his own life in August 2020.
His family were concerned that he had been bullied because of his race, the report said.
Nigel Farage has told Sky News he “can’t be pushed or bullied” by anybody after Elon Musk said the Reform MP “doesn’t have what it takes” to lead his party.
In an interview with Sky’s political correspondent Ali Fortescue, Mr Farage said he has spoken with the billionaire owner of X since his criticism on 5 January, when Mr Musk said: “The Reform Party needs a new leader. Farage doesn’t have what it takes.”
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Asked if the pair are still friends, Mr Farage said: “Of course we’re friends. He just says what he thinks at any moment in time.”
He added he has “been in touch” with Mr Musk, though wouldn’t divulge what they had discussed.
“Look, he said lots of supportive things. He said one thing that wasn’t supportive. I mean, that’s just the way it is,” Mr Farage said.
Musk and Farage met in December. Pic: PA
Asked if he was afraid to criticise the tech mogul, the Clacton MP said the situation was “the opposite”, and he openly disagreed with Mr Musk on his views on far-right activist Tommy Robinson.
Mr Farage said: “What he [Musk] was saying online was that effectively Tommy Robinson was a political prisoner and I wouldn’t go along with that.
“If I had gone along with that, he wouldn’t have put out a tweet that was against me.
“By the way, you know, I can’t be pushed or bullied or made to change by anybody.
“I stick to what I believe.”
Mr Musk has endorsed Robinson and claimed he was “telling the truth” about grooming gangs, writing on X: “Free Tommy Robinson”.
But Mr Farage said that Robinson, who is serving an 18-month jail term for contempt of court, isn’t welcome in Reform UK and neither are his supporters.
He said: “If people within Reform think Tommy Robinson should be a member of Reform and play a central role in Reform, that disagreement is absolutely fundamental.
“I’ve never wanted to work with people who were active in the BNP. I’ve made that clear right throughout the last decade of my on/off political career. So that’s what the point of difference is.”
Despite their disagreement, Mr Farage said he is confident Mr Musk will continue to support Reform and “may well” still give money to it.
The entrepreneur has previously spoken positively about Reform UK and there have been suggestions he could make a multi-million-pound donation in its favour.
Devolution plans ‘denial of democracy’
Mr Farage was speaking from Reform’s South East of England Conference, one of a series of regional events aimed at building up the party’s support base.
Elsewhere in the interview, he hit out at the Labour government’s devolution plans which could see some local elections scheduled for May postponed.
This would apply when councils seek permission to reorganise, so that smaller district authorities merge with other nearby ones to give them more sway over their area.
Mr Farage, who is hoping to make gains in the spring contests, claimed the plans are not about devolution but about “elections being cancelled”.
“I thought only dictators cancelled elections. This is unbelievable and devolution or a change to local government structures is being used as an excuse,” he said.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage earlier this month. Pic: PA
He claimed Tory-controlled councils are “grabbing it like it’s a life belt”, because they fear losing seats to Reform.
“It’s an absolute denial of democracy,” he added.
Mr Farage was also asked why many Reform members don’t like to speak on camera about why they support his party.
He said he did not accept there was a toxicity associated with Reform and claimed there was “institutional bias against anybody that isn’t left of centre”.
Specialist search teams, police dogs and divers have been dispatched to find two sisters who vanished in Aberdeen three days ago.
Eliza and Henrietta Huszti, both 32, were last seen on CCTV in the city’s Market Street at Victoria Bridge at about 2.12am on Tuesday.
The siblings were captured crossing the bridge and turning right onto a footpath next to the River Dee in the direction of Aberdeen Boat Club.
Henrietta Huszti. Pic: Police Scotland
Eliza Huszti. Pic: Police Scotland
Police Scotland has launched a major search and said it is carrying out “extensive inquires” in an effort to find the women.
Chief Inspector Darren Bruce said: “Local officers, led by specialist search advisors, are being assisted by resources including police dogs and our marine unit.”
Aberdeenshire Drone Services told Sky News it has offered to help in the search and is waiting to hear back from Police Scotland.
CCTV of the sisters. Pic: Police Scotland
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The sisters, from Aberdeen city centre, are described as slim with long brown hair.
Police said the Torry side of Victoria Bridge where the sisters were last seen contains many commercial and industrial units, with searches taking place in the vicinity.
The force urged businesses in and around the South Esplanade and Menzies Road area to review CCTV footage recorded in the early hours of Tuesday in case it captured anything of significance.
Drivers with relevant dashcam footage are also urged to come forward.
CI Bruce added: “We are continuing to speak to people who know Eliza and Henrietta and we urge anyone who has seen them or who has any information regarding their whereabouts to please contact 101.”
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