Police chief reassures public after controversy in Atherstone-on-Stour warehouse blaze trial aftermath

Chief constable Andy Parker said recent publicity relating to the trial of three Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Incident Commanders, found not guilty of gross negligence manslaughter at Stafford Crown Court last week, may have raised concerns.

Mr Parker said that, as previusly stated, Warwickshire Police accepts the findings of the court.

He added: “It is important that local communities in Warwickshire, the public we jointly serve, continue to have confidence in all emergency services and other public services who work to protect them and improve their quality of life.

“Police, fire and ambulance personnel have a strong track record of working together to deal with emergencies on a daily basis and at times of major need.

“I know that officers and staff in all services value their colleagues and I would like to reassure the public that any differences of opinion about this case will not be allowed to distract officers from their duty to protect the public and, in our case, to prevent and detect crime and reduce casualties on our roads.”

Firefighters Darren Yates-Badley, Iain Reid, John Averis and Ashley Stephens died as a result of a warehouse blaze at Atherstone-on-Stour in November 2007.

Incident commanders Timothy Woodward and Adrian Ashley were cleared last week over their deaths.

Fire service officer Paul Simmons was acquitted five weeks into the trial.

Last week the force held a press conference in which the families and loved ones of three of the firefighters expressed their anger and disappointment at the outcome of the trial.

Det Supt Ken Lawrence, who had led the investigation, had also said he was “personally disappointed” at the verdicts.

But Warwickshire’s chief fire officer Graeme Smith questioned whether the trial should not have taken place and the fire service along with the Chief Fire Officers Association are writing to the Home Secretary to seek a formal investigation into why the three incident commanders were prosecuted.

Councillor Alan Farnell, leader of Warwickshire County Council, was unhappy with the comments from the police’s press conference and said he would write to the chief constable to seek an apology to the three fire officers and clarification the police acknowledge their complete innocence.