May 2009 14

Taxpayers angered by fire chief’s pension pot12

The Express & Star revealed today that disgraced ex-West Midlands Fire Chief Frank Sheehan will be receiving a taxpayer-funded pension of over £100,000 despite being forced to quit following a child pornography investigation.

Sheehan, who was not charged as the CPS claimed it wasn’t in the public interest to do so, has been placed on the sex offenders register for two years after police raided his home and arrested him on suspicion of making indecent images of children.

Frank-sheehan Despite the appalling circumstances surrounding his sharp exit from the West Midlands Fire Service, according to the article Sheehan will still have the option to “commute” up to a quarter of his pension, allowing him to take a lump sum of £363,834 and subsist on a generous annual package of £75,276.

Many taxpayers emailing the WMTPA have insisted that there should have been a steeper financial penalty due to the criminal activity that caused Sheehan’s departure, and all resent having their taxes go toward such an impressive pension pot.

It certainly seems nonsensical that those who’ve behaved in such a deplorable manner and in contravention to the law should be paid so handsomely by the very public they’ve at best offended and at worst, compromised.

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  • Hardeep Singh

    Unlike so many of the other ‘public servants’ a fireman is somewhat worthy in receiving such a sum. However as with all prudent taxpayers I would like to see a bit of ‘trimming’ and justification :) Compared to alot of other backroom members of the public aristocracy in local councils he’s more deserving. Besides how many lives has he saved throughout his career?

  • Hardeep Singh

    ALERT: What child pornography well I have changed my opinion straight away, why is this chap still wearing the uniform. Disgusting and there I was assuming he’s just an average everyday firefighter. He’s let himself down and his service and few in society should have anything to do with him!
    Public outrage add me to that list too please!

  • Randy Chasewater

    If he brings the brigade into disrepute it’s a sackable offence under the old discipline code. Of course they may have changed that because it might not be seen as fair nowadays. Is involvement with child porn enough to bring a brigade into disrepute?. I can’t think of anything more abhorant myself but no doubt he’s a chum of one of the “right honourable (incompetent) friends” in the house and they all pee in the same fire bucket so lucky old him. As for saving lives ofsetting his criminal activity, well thats what y’ get paid for in the FB so that means nothing.

  • A.Smith

    Sorry, did someone say this man has saved a lot of lives? Hmmm, I doubt it. Just like senior police officers haven’t made an arrest in many years, this guy will have lost touch with reality and obviously his senses. He’s a disgrace and he should receive no pension. If you bring your organisation into disrepute, especially when it’s funded by the taxpayer, you should forfeit your pension if you’re found guilty of wrongdoing. Sadly this man did not face a Magistrate or Judge for reasons only known to the police & CPS.

  • gordon-bennett

    It’s bad enough (what an understatement) possessing child pornography but he was MAKING it.
    What possible mitigating circumstances could there be for not prosecuting?
    And surely the fact that he was an ACTIVE participant means he should be heavily punished, including pension reduction/confiscation.

  • John Murphy

    Sorry, maybe I missing something! Isn’t the CPS staffed by “Public Servants” employed by you and me the “Taxpayers”?
    I propose a petition to challenge the CPS to as the Americans say P… or get off the pot. Either Frank Sheehan is guilty or he is not and that can only be decided in a court of law. If he is not guilty give him his pension and his job back with an apology. Alternatively if he is guilty put him on the sex offenders register, jail him if appropriate and sack him from his job which means NO PENSION!
    You can’t be a little bit guilty of this kind of offence so what do the CPS (our employees) think they are doing putting him on the register but not prosecuting him properly. This smells every bit as bad as the MPs and their fraudulent expenses. Just who is covering whose arse here??

  • Chris Sparks

    It will be a long time since this guy rode a fire engine. Chief officers don’t go to that many fires or serious incidents most of their time is spent dealing with fellow administrators. If he had been of lower rank he would have probably have been sacked his pension contributions paid back to him and he would not receive a pension. If he’s on the sex offenders register he has been found guilty of a criminal act which means he should be sacked. It doesn’t look good that a CEO is caught doing this sort of stuff which is probably why it’s not in the public interest. Some people are more equal than others

  • Duncan Jeffery

    Why is a fireman more deserving of a pension than any other worker ? They can retire at 50 on a fairly generous pension, their work hours are a joke and they can engineer enormous amounts of leave time, and even run secind jobs / businesses in their spare time, and I bleive more teachers are killed in the classroom than firemen die in action.
    Lets bust these overly sentimental myths

  • Robert Chapman

    Obviously Duncan has gone a flea in his ear about Firemen!Perhaps he tried to become a Firefighter and failed miserably.
    I wonder how many times he has put his life on the line to save a complete stranger?

  • Chris Sparks

    You can’t call them Fireman. The word police will be after you because you used a gender specific word. Duncan does have some knowledge of firefighters it appears however. I’m sure he’s just trying to wind people up when he says “more teachers are killed in the classroom than fireman die in action”. Everybody knows they get killed at the school gates

  • keith cooper

    I am a newby to the T.P.A. and after reading the above report and the following comments, I have to ask whether we can take any action to fetch this to a satisfactory conclusion.
    Will the T.P.A. go beyond the reporting of this disgusting situation and maybe question the CPS about their decision?

  • Chris Sparks

    I doubt that the CPS would change their decision Keith. However the elected members of the council and the fire committee did have the power to sack him and perhaps their decision is something that could be reviewed. They will have to pay this sex offenders pension for the rest of his life even if he commits other offences. Once you’re out of the system you cease to be bound by disciplinary regulations.