Ethnic-minority firefighters told ‘to stay in the truck’

TWO ethnic minority firefighters have claimed they were told by colleagues to stay in the back of their fire truck because their presence would “damage house prices” in the area.

The two were among a group offered five-figure settlements by Essex County Fire and Rescue Service after claiming they were subjected to a vicious campaign of racist harassment.

The payouts come after the service was described in an official report from 2015 as containing “dangerous and pervasive bullying” at every level.

The five firefighters had accused Essex Fire and Rescue of repeatedly ignoring reports of racist abuse and harassment and of failing to discipline the perpetrators.

The four men and one woman claimed the brigade condoned an atmosphere at work which led to them suffering “psychiatric injury” from “abuse, bullying and acts of harassment”.

Court documents reveal claims that an Asian firefighter, called Ajmal Khan, was told to stay in the back of a fire truck with a black colleague, Winston Rollock, because their presence “would bring the house prices down”.

In another example of alleged racist bullying, firefighters called Mr Khan “p---”, placed bacon and sausages on his plate, and smeared his toast with bacon, knowing he was a Muslim. Essex County Fire and Rescue Service has now agreed settlements with the five firefighters understood to be in the region of up to £25,000 each.

The case comes after a 2015 report by Irene Lucas, a senior civil servant, stated that “just about every -ism is present: sexism, racism, ageism” and went on to identify a series of management failures within the service.

A review carried out the following year found that while some progress had been made, there was still more work to be done in improving the culture of the service.

Several of the firefighters said the publication of the Lucas report gave them the confidence to come forward.

One of the group, Karen Edwards, claimed firefighters referred to one particular shift as “the Benetton Watch” because it was where ethnicminority staff tended to be assigned.

Jaffer Ibrahim, 43, a firefighter of Turkish Cypriot origin, claimed that following his recruitment he was told by colleagues they didn’t want “any blacks or women” in the service.

An Essex County Fire and Rescue Service spokesman refused to comment on the claims or the settlement, but said: “Inappropriate behaviour is not, and has never been acceptable.

“We are committed to developing an inclusive culture, where everyone is supported to do their best, free from harm and inappropriate, unprofessional behaviour.” Additional reporting by Clea Skopeliti