Too many women in fire service - Hampshire deputy police chief

Campaigners say Luke Stubbs' comments could hinder fire service recruitment

A deputy police and crime commissioner (DPCC) has said the number of women working in some fire service departments should be reduced.

It comes after Hampshire & Isle of Wight Fire & Rescue Service outlined plans to hire more women and people from minority ethnic groups.

Luke Stubbs said the equality quota programme meant white men were not being given equal opportunities.

Campaigners called his comments "unhelpful and uninformed".

Mr Stubbs said: "Government - and I think this is wrong - is bringing in quota programmes across the public sector, but only where it benefits women and minorities.

"In areas where it's mostly men it has to be 50-50, but in areas where it's mostly women there's no change."

Stating that the service's control room was 84% women, he said: "I would like assurance that steps are being taken to reduce that."

The fire service has said equality quotas do not exist, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).

Rhydian Vaughan, chair of the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Authority, said: "Listening to Mr Stubbs' opinion you would think we've got our equality system all wrong, which I don't believe at all."

The Fawcett Society, which campaigns for gender equality, said the Hampshire DPCC's comments could hinder firefighter recruitment, the LDRS reported.

The charity's chief executive, Jemima Olchawski, said: "Luke Stubbs's comments are unhelpful and uninformed - the data clearly shows us white men are definitely not being left behind.

"More than 90% of firefighters in England are male and white, and it's clear that the profession must recruit and retain both women and people from minority communities.

"But the deputy commissioner's remarks will have the opposite effect."

Molly Rowland, the fire service's head of HR, said: "Our recruitment will always be open to everyone and all those who apply will have to go through the same selection processes and reach the same standards."