Senior fire officers appointed amid inquiry

Karen Gowreesunker and Jason Kirby will be joining Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service

A fire service has announced the appointment of two temporary senior fire officers, as investigations continue into two leaders at the organisation.

Shropshire Fire Service's chief fire officer Simon Hardiman and assistant chief fire officer Adam Matthews were placed under investigation in April over claims of sexist messages.

Earlier this month, the service advertised for two temporary assistant chief fire officer roles based in Shrewsbury, offering a £108,598 salary.

The service has now announced the successful candidates as Karen Gowreesunker and Jason Kirby.

Ms Gowreesunker is joining from West Midlands Fire Service and will take on the role of head of corporate services.

Mr Kirby, from Humberside Fire and Rescue Service, will join as head of service delivery.

Shropshire's deputy chief fire officer, Sam Burton, said: "I am pleased that both Karen and Jason will be joining us here in Shropshire towards the end of the summer.

"I am confident their knowledge and experience will help the service in our continued dedication to make Shropshire safer."

Ms Gowreesunker had been appointed to the role of temporary assistant chief fire officer for West Midlands Fire Service in January 2023, while Mr Kirby had been area manager of emergency response in Humberside since 2022.

Whatsapp message investigation

Simon Hardiman and Adam Matthews are being investigated after they were accused of sending sexist Whatsapp messages

Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service confirmed chief fire officer Simon Hardiman and his deputy Adam Matthews were under investigation, after their WhatsApp conversations were reportedly leaked to ITV News.

The inspectorate described the messages as "deeply concerning", with a number of them targeting a female colleague who later resigned.

In one message, Mr Matthews is alleged to have said the colleague was ineffective in her work and that "I've got no loyalty to the lazy cow".

In another exchange, Mr Hardiman is alleged to have said: "I've calmed down now, but I could still kill her, buddy."