Fire chiefs to repay strike cash

Senior fire officers at South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue were paid almost £40,000 for working during strikes in 2013 but the payments were not publicly recorded by the authority.

When details of the sums involved emerged, they prompted outcry from union officials.

A review found the payments were lawful but a fire service spokesman said bosses will now “voluntarily” pay the money back.

He said: “Principal officers at South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue have agreed to voluntarily pay back contingency payments earned whilst covering firefighter strike action, following a recommendation by the fire authority’s audit committee.

“A report to the committee was clear in its view that the payments, for maintaining fire cover to local communities during nearly 300 hours of strike action, were lawful.

“However, after considering the concerns of fire authority members, principal officers have agreed to pay the money back so that all parties are better able to work constructively together to meet the significant transformational challenges the service faces in the future.”