Bedfordshire chief fire officer Paul Fuller dies weeks before retiring

Bedfordshire's chief fire officer Paul Fuller died after a short illness

A chief fire officer has died, just weeks before he was due to retire.

Paul Fuller died after a short illness with his family at his side, Bedfordshire's Fire and Rescue Service announced.

"His leadership and sound advice during the past 19 years as chief fire officer was exemplary," said John Chatterley, of Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Authority.

"It is particularly sad as Paul was due to retire at the end of June."

Mr Chatterley said his "loss will be felt by all of us" in the fire service.

Mr Fuller joined the fire service in 1978, going on to lead the Bedfordshire brigade in 2002.

He was appointed a CBE by the Queen in 2016 and appointed deputy lieutenant of Bedfordshire in 2017.

'Beloved chief'

He was an avid fund-raiser for several charities, including The Fire Fighters Charity and the Children's Burns Trust.

Bedfordshire's deputy chief fire officer, Andy Hopkinson said: "We are still coming to terms with the loss of our beloved chief, an incredibly well respected man.

"There are undoubtedly people walking the streets of Bedfordshire today thanks to Paul's dedication and devotion to the fire and rescue service.

"This will be an incredibly difficult time for Paul's family, friends and colleagues, past and present, and our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with them all."

Mr Fuller also worked in the West Midlands, West Sussex, Staffordshire and Wiltshire, as well as in Warwickshire on secondment.

He served on a number of national bodies including President of the Chief Fire Officers Association.

His contribution to the UK fire and rescue service was recognised in 2008 when he was awarded the Queen's Fire Service Medal, and he was made a Freeman of the City of London in 2012.