County’s new fire officer is unveiled

THE replacement of Gloucestershire’s scandal-hit chief fire officer Stewart Edgar has been announced.

Wayne Bowcock takes on the role as the top public servant after a two-day job interview held in private earlier this week.

Mr Bowcock is currently the deputy chief fire officer for Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service, and started out as a firefighter in Staffordshire. He has 26 years experience in a range of operational and leadership roles under his belt.

Gloucestershire County

Council had to find a new chief fire officer after Mr Edgar sold a surplus service-owned vehicle for £500, which he later bought for himself. He resigned from his £147,000-a-year position.

Council leader Mark Hawthorne said the interview process was a “tough one”, but added that Mr Bowcock was the “stand-out candidate”.

Mr Hawthorne said: “We had a strong field to select from and I would like to thank all those that took part for making our decision a tough one.

“In the end, Wayne was the stand-out candidate, having impressed everyone over the two days and committee members were unanimous in their decision to appoint him. Wayne has both the technical knowhow and the strong leadership qualities needed to take the service to the next level.”

Mr Edgar oversaw a tender process in which a Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service Land Rover was sold for far less than its £5,000-£8,000 value.

The council confirmed he then “went on to purchase the vehicle from the successful bidder”.

An internal investigation found Mr Edgar guilty of “poor judgement” in the sale of the Land Rover Discovery.

Mr Edgar, who was appointed chief fire officer in February 2014, said in an email to staff he had “mixed emotions” and that he had “made a very difficult decision to stand down”.

An exact date for Mr Bowcock to start is currently being agreed but it will be some time in the new year, the county council said.

Wayne Bowcock