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Fire chief reinstated after £250k retirement pay-out

13/11/2007

A Manchester fire chief is at the centre of a row after he received a £250,000 retirement payout before reaccepting his old job a few days later at a salary of £100,000.

Patrick Corcoran, assistant county fire officer, retired at the age of 55 but was then reinstated on an 11-month fixed-term contract.

Greater Manchester Fire Service said it could not find a suitable replacement for Mr Corcoran and had no other option but to offer him his old job.

But Kevin Brown, of the Fire Brigades' Union, condemned the decision and questioned whether it was the best use of financial resources.

"Surely Mr Corcoran's retirement date will not have come as a surprise to the management," he remarked.

"Greater Manchester Fire Service used to be one of the top-performing brigades in the country. I am sure that there would not have been a shortage of potential candidates."

Earlier this year, Greater Manchester Fire Service was embroiled in a row after three firefighters were disciplined for using "unauthorised rest facilities" during night shifts.

A dawn inspection by fire chiefs at the end of May found that the officers had been resting in sleeping bags and gym mats on the floor, contrary to health and safety regulations.