Firemen stood down for cling film ‘joke’ on children

A FIRE crew has been suspended from community work after a fireman wrapped two children in cling film for a prank.

The incident, at a fire station in Southend, Essex, saw the children of a crew member wound in the plastic by a colleague of their father as a joke, their mother said.

The woman, who posted photographs on Facebook, said the children enjoyed it but accepted “we should not have played around like this at the fire station”.

The watch has been assigned core duties only, meaning it cannot carry out community activities.

A spokesman for Essex County Fire and Rescue Service said: “The photos we have seen have raised concerns. We have liaised with the appropriate statutory agencies and a thorough investigation and process has now started.

“We believe that no harm was caused to the children, and that the parents were present throughout the event. Our fire and rescue service is trusted within the county and we’re proud of the work we do.

“The firefighters involved are embarrassed and regretful of how this event has been interpreted. This is a standalone incident and not reflective of the professionalism and diligence our firefighters display. It does not give the right impression to our public.”

The spokesman added that fire stations are community properties and sometimes families of firefighters bring their children to the station at weekends.