New West Midlands Fire Service chief withdraws from role days after move was announced

Ben Brook, who was announced as chief fire officer (CFO) on Friday, stepped away from the service after a "period of reflection", a statement from the authority's vice chair, councillor Catherine Miks said.

Mr Brook had felt there was still too much work to be done at neighbouring Warwickshire Fire and Rescue where he served as chief fire officer, she said.

The statement read: "Ben feels the pull of Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service and the work still to be done there is greater than the pull back to the West Midlands, and so he has informed us that he will be continuing in his role there.

"I hope I speak for the service when I say we respect Ben’s decision and wish he and Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service well.

“As I updated previously, we had an exceptional field of candidates and the decision of who to offer the role of CFO to was an extremely close one. As such, we are working on our next steps.

“I completely understand that after an unsettling period, some stability was welcome news and this development is not ideal for our staff – but as has been said before, the work to protect the three million people of the West Midlands has never wavered, faltered or diminished, and I am enormously proud and grateful to the service for their continued efforts.

There have been calls for a public inquiry into the West Midlands authority after the interim chief executive and chairman of the fire authority both resigned. Former chief fire officer Wayne Brown was found dead at his home in January.

Oliver Lee left his role as interim chief executive last month, accusing the service of being impossible to lead. Greg Brackenridge, chairman of the service's governing authority and a Wednesfield councillor, stepped down from his post in the same month.