West Midlands Fire Service chief Frank Sheehan resigns after child porn arrest

Nov 19 2008 EXCLUSIVE by Nick McCarthy

his departure.

The chairman of the fire authority released a written statement and was not available for further comment.

Coun Peter Howard said: “Frank Sheehan has resigned from his post, for personal reasons, as chief fire officer for West Midlands Fire Service with immediate effect.

“The deputy chief fire officer, Vij Randeniya, will be acting in the role of chief fire officer.

“The authority has every confidence in the corporate board and the staff of West Midlands Fire Service who will continue to serve the communities of the West Midlands.”

One Birmingham firefighter, who did not wish to be named, said: “We had no idea this was coming, it’s as much a surprise to us as it is to everybody else.

“There has been no talk of this.”

He was awarded a CBE earlier this year and is also a holder of the Queen’s Fire Service Medal (QFSM) for services to community fire safety.