London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Nov 07, 2025

London Fire Brigade institutionally misogynist and racist - report

London Fire Brigade institutionally misogynist and racist - report

London Fire Brigade is "institutionally misogynist and racist", according to a damning review into its culture.

A black firefighter had a noose put by his locker, while a female one received video of a colleague exposing himself.

The independent review was established by the London Fire Commissioner after a trainee firefighter took his own life in August 2020.

Commissioner Andy Roe said there was no place for discrimination, harassment and bullying in the brigade.

"From today it will be completely clear to all staff what behaviour isn't acceptable and what the consequences will be," he added.

The review, conducted by the former Chief Crown Prosecutor for north-west England, Nazir Afzal, concludes that unless the "toxic culture" is tackled then other firefighters will take their own lives.

It lists a number of instances of abuse and poor behaviour at almost all levels of London Fire Brigade (LFB), including:

*  Multiple cases of bullying "and the targeting of ethnic minorities and women" with some complaints not investigated

*  Women "sexually taunted", including one who received video calls from a man exposing his genitalia

*  Men "huddled around a screen watching porn" at some fire stations

Talking to the BBC, Mr Afzal said the report made for "grim reading".

"We've heard example after example about women who were harassed or sexually assaulted - constant sexual taunting to the point that I am now saying that the London Fire Brigade is institutionally misogynist," Mr Afzal said.

"In addition to the misogyny, there is an enormous amount of racism. One black man had a noose put up above his locker, another Muslim officer had bacon rolled on his plate before he ate.

"Women told us they were told [by male firefighters]: 'We want to get you out of here, we don't want you to be a fire officer.' It goes back to the whole fireman concept.

"I sat with a very senior female officer who said to me, through tears, that whenever she goes through a dangerous incident, she's always thinking: 'Will the men have my back? Will the men around me protect me given how they have treated me back at the station?

"If they feel they can't trust the men around them because of their behaviour or misbehaviour and worse, then they aren't safe and neither are we."

The behaviour of some staff left "left a clear trail of psychological harm", the report found


The report also found that while there was often "considerable sensitivity" in the brigade around issues of race, there appeared to be "a worrying blind spot" concerning misogyny and sexism.

One firefighter told the review that she advised her female friends not to let male firefighters in the house to give safety advice because "they go through women's drawers looking for underwear and sex toys".

The review recommends that firefighters now wear body-worn video for home visits.

The behaviour of some brigade staff left "left a clear trail of psychological harm", the report said.

Even seniority appears not to have insulated some women from abuse: former Commissioner Dany Cotton, who became the first woman to lead LFB, said she had received death threats following an anti-sexism campaign she was promoting.

Despite a series of failings, the review found that most participants thought their workplace was "supportive and friendly".

It also found examples of "good leadership" including people who "went out of their way to build inclusive environments and operate a zero-tolerance policy around discrimination" but described it as "uneven and patchy" across the brigade.

Black, Asian and minority ethnic staff felt they "must work twice as hard to be seen and heard", the report said, adding that non-white staff were more likely to be disciplined and less likely to be promoted.

In one instance a Muslim firefighter was spoken to in an Indian accent by his colleagues and had a piece of bacon put in his sandwich.

When he transferred to another watch, his colleagues put a pork sausage in his pocket, the report said. He subsequently had a terrorism hotline sticker placed on his locker, but his complaints were dismissed. He eventually collapsed at work and was admitted to hospital, and has since been diagnosed with PTSD and has had suicidal thoughts.

The review, written by Nazir Afzal, concludes that unless the "toxic culture" is tackled then other firefighters will take their lives


The Grenfell Tower fire is described as having a "seismic impact on the culture of LFB", particularly on the mental health of staff.

North Kensington fire station, which is less than a mile from the tower, was "widely recognised as a supportive station with a strong and diverse culture".

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said: "The findings of Nazir Afzal OBE's review must be nothing short of a watershed moment for the London Fire Brigade. The details published today of institutional misogyny, racism and discrimination are abhorrent.

"Londoners, including firefighters and other staff, who have been let down by those who should have supported them have every right to be angry, as I am."

Mr Roe added: "I am deeply sorry for the harm that has been caused. I will be fully accountable for improving our culture and I fully accept all of the 23 recommendations."


London Fire Brigade report: "If female firefighters aren't safe from men, neither are we"


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Apple to Pay Google About One Billion Dollars Annually for Gemini AI to Power Next-Generation Siri
UK Signals Major Shift as Nuclear Arms Race Looms
BBC’s « Celebrity Traitors UK » Finale Breaks Records with 11.1 Million Viewers
UK Spy Case Collapse Highlights Implications for UK-Taiwan Strategic Alignment
On the Road to the Oscars? Meghan Markle to Star in a New Film
A Vote Worth a Trillion Dollars: Elon Musk’s Defining Day
AI Researchers Claim Human-Level General Intelligence Is Already Here
President Donald Trump Challenges Nigeria with Military Options Over Alleged Christian Killings
Nancy Pelosi Finally Announces She Will Not Seek Re-Election, Signalling End of Long Congressional Career
UK Pre-Budget Blues and Rate-Cut Concerns Pile Pressure on Pound
ITV Warns of Nine-Per-Cent Drop in Q4 Advertising Revenue Amid Budget Uncertainty
National Grid Posts Slightly Stronger-Than-Expected Half-Year Profit as Regulatory Investments Drive Growth
UK Business Lobby Urges Reeves to Break Tax Pledges and Build Fiscal Headroom
UK to Launch Consultation on Stablecoin Regulation on November 10
UK Savers Rush to Withdraw Pension Cash Ahead of Budget Amid Tax-Change Fears
Massive Spoilers Emerge from MAFS UK 2025: Couple Swaps, Dating App Leaks and Reunion Bombshells
Kurdish-led Crime Network Operates UK Mini-Marts to Exploit Migrants and Sell Illicit Goods
UK Income Tax Hike Could Trigger £1 Billion Cut to Scotland’s Budget, Warns Finance Secretary
Tommy Robinson Acquitted of Terror-related Charge After Phone PIN Dispute
Boris Johnson Condemns Western Support for Hamas at Jewish Community Conference
HII Welcomes UK’s Westley Group to Strengthen AUKUS Submarine Supply Chain
Tragedy in Serbia: Coach Mladen Žižović Collapses During Match and Dies at 44
Diplo Says He Dated Katy Perry — and Justin Trudeau
Dick Cheney, Former U.S. Vice President, Dies at 84
Trump Calls Title Removal of Andrew ‘Tragic Situation’ Amid Royal Fallout
UK Bonds Rally as Chancellor Reeves Briefs Markets Ahead of November Budget
UK Report Backs Generational Smoking Ban Ahead of Tobacco & Vapes Bill Review
UK’s Domino’s Pizza Group Reports Modest Like-for-Like Sales Growth in Q3
UK Supplies Additional Storm Shadow Missiles to Ukraine as Trump Alleges Russian Underground Nuclear Tests
High-Profile Broodmare Puca Sells for Five Million Dollars at Fasig-Tipton ‘Night of the Stars’
Wilt Chamberlain’s One-of-a-Kind ‘Searcher 1’ Supercar Heads to Auction
Erling Haaland’s Remarkable Run: 13 Premier League Goals in 10 Matches and Eyes on History
UK Labour Peer Warns of Emerging ‘Constituency for Hating Jews’ in Britain
UK Home Secretary Admits Loss of Border Control, Warns Public Trust at Risk
President Trump Expresses Sympathy for UK Royal Family After Title Stripping of Prince Andrew
Former Prince Andrew to Lose His Last Military Title as King Charles Moves to End His Public Role
King Charles Relocates Andrew to Sandringham Estate and Strips Titles Amid Epstein Fallout
Two Arrested After Mass Stabbing on UK Train Leaves Ten Hospitalised
Glamour UK Says ‘Stay Mad Jo x’ After Really Big Rowling Backlash
Former Prince Prince Andrew Faces Possible U.S. Congressional Appearance Over Jeffrey Epstein Inquiry
UK Faces £20 Billion Productivity Shortfall as Brexit’s Impact Deepens
UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves Eyes New Council-Tax Bands for High-Value Homes
UK Braces for Major Storm with Snow, Heavy Rain and Winds as High as 769 Miles Wide
U.S. Secures Key Southeast Asia Agreements to Reshape Rare Earth Supply Chains
US and China Agree One-Year Trade Truce After Trump-Xi Talks
BYD Profit Falls 33 % as Chinese EV Maker Doubles Down on Overseas Markets
US Philanthropists Shift Hundreds of Millions to UK to Evade Regulatory Uncertainty in Trump Era
Israeli Energy Minister Delays $35 Billion Gas Export Agreement with Egypt
King Charles Strips Prince Andrew of Titles and Royal Residence
Trump–Putin Budapest Summit Cancelled After Moscow Memo Raises Conditions for Ukraine Talks
×