Stephen Mold: Northamptonshire commissioner faces vote of no confidence

Stephen Mold appointed Nicci Marzac on 7 July but she stood down amid speculation about their friendship

A commissioner has been served a vote of no confidence by firefighters.

The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) wants Northamptonshire's Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner (PFCC) Stephen Mold to "resign or be held to the highest account".

Mr Mold admitted an "error of judgement" following a controversial decision to appoint a friend to a senior fire service role.

The PFCC declined to comment on the FBU's vote of no confidence.

Mr Mold appointed Nicci Marzec as the county's interim fire chief in July , but she resigned 10 days later amid speculation over their relationship and criticism from the FBU that she had no operational experience for the role.

Ms Marzec's appointment came after Mark Jones quit to recover from an injury. Following her resignation, firefighter Simon Tuhill was appointed to the fire chief role on an interim basis.

The BBC has attempted to contact Ms Marzec, who also left all her roles at the PFCC office.

In a letter, Mr Mold said he had acted in haste when appointing Ms Marzec.

Nicci Marzec was appointed interim fire chief for Northamptonshire by Mr Mold - but stood down 10 days later

• Panellists walk out of meeting amid appointment row

• Commissioner will not resign over fire chief saga

• Fire chief steps down amid friendship speculation

The FBU's vote of no confidence comes ahead of a public meeting of the PFCC's scrutiny panel on Thursday, which is due to include questions about Mr Mold's tenure.

Firefighters will also hold a rally at the Guildhall in Northampton.

Adam Taylor of the FBU has called for Stephen Mold to step down

The FBU has called for the government's fire minister Chris Philp to scrap what it says is an "undemocratic and unaccountable" PFCC model.

Adam Taylor, the FBU's representative for the East Midlands, said: "The PFCC model has been a dangerous experiment in our region, and these chaotic events must signal its end."

PFCCs are publicly elected to hold police and fire services to account.

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