London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Nov 28, 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
250 Still Missing in the Massive Fire, 94 Killed. One Day After the Disaster: Survivor Rescued on the 16th Floor
Trump: National Guard Soldier Who Was Shot in Washington Has Died; Second Soldier Fighting for His Life
UK Chancellor Reeves Defends Tax Rises as Essential to Reduce Child Poverty and Stabilise Public Finances
No Evidence Found for Claim That UK Schools Are Shifting to Teaching American English
European Powers Urge Israel to Halt West Bank Settler Violence Amid Surge in Attacks
"I Would Have Given Her a Kidney": She Lent Bezos’s Ex-Wife $1,000 — and Received Millions in Return
European States Approve First-ever Military-Grade Surveillance Network via ESA
UK to Slash Key Pension Tax Perk, Targeting High Earners Under New Budget
UK Government Announces £150 Annual Cut to Household Energy Bills Through Levy Reforms
UK Court Hears Challenge to Ban on Palestine Action as Critics Decry Heavy-Handed Measures
Investors Rush Into UK Gilts and Sterling After Budget Eases Fiscal Concerns
UK to Raise Online Betting Taxes by £1.1 Billion Under New Budget — Firms Warn of Fallout
Lamine Yamal? The ‘Heir to Messi’ Lost to Barcelona — and the Kingdom Is in a Frenzy
Warner Music Group Drops Suit Against Suno, Launches Licensed AI-Music Deal
HP to Cut up to 6,000 Jobs Globally as It Ramps Up AI Integration
MediaWorld Sold iPad Air for €15 — Then Asked Customers to Return Them or Pay More
UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer Promises ‘Full-Time’ Education for All Children as School Attendance Slips
UK Extends Sugar Tax to Sweetened Milkshakes and Lattes in 2028 Health Push
UK Government Backs £49 Billion Plan for Heathrow Third Runway and Expansion
UK Gambling Firms Report £1bn Surge in Annual Profits as Pressure Mounts for Higher Betting Taxes
UK Shares Advance Ahead of Budget as Financials and Consumer Staples Lead Gains
Domino’s UK CEO Andrew Rennie Steps Down Amid Strategic Reset
UK Economy Stalls as Reeves Faces First Budget Test
UK Economy’s Weak Start Adds Pressure on Prime Minister Starmer
UK Government Acknowledges Billionaire Exodus Amid Tax Rise Concerns
UK Budget 2025: Markets Brace as Chancellor Faces Fiscal Tightrope
UK Unveils Strategic Plan to Secure Critical Mineral Supply Chains
UK Taskforce Calls for Radical Reset of Nuclear Regulation to Cut Costs and Accelerate Build
UK Government Launches Consultation on Major Overhaul of Settlement Rules
Google Struggles to Meet AI Demand as Infrastructure, Energy and Supply-Chain Gaps Deepen
Car Parts Leader Warns Europe Faces Heavy Job Losses in ‘Darwinian’ Auto Shake-Out
Arsenal Move Six Points Clear After Eze’s Historic Hat-Trick in Derby Rout
Wealthy New Yorkers Weigh Second Homes as the ‘Mamdani Effect’ Ripples Through Luxury Markets
Families Accuse OpenAI of Enabling ‘AI-Driven Delusions’ After Multiple Suicides
UK Unveils Critical-Minerals Strategy to Break China Supply-Chain Grip
Taylor Swift’s “The Fate of Ophelia” Extends U.K. No. 1 Run to Five Weeks
UK VPN Sign-Ups Surge by Over 1,400 % as Age-Verification Law Takes Effect
Former MEP Nathan Gill Jailed for Over Ten Years After Taking Pro-Russia Bribes
Majority of UK Entrepreneurs Regard Government as ‘Anti-Business’, Survey Shows
UK’s Starmer and US President Trump Align as Geneva Talks Probe Ukraine Peace Plan
UK Prime Minister Signals Former Prince Andrew Should Testify to US Epstein Inquiry
Royal Navy Deploys HMS Severn to Shadow Russian Corvette and Tanker Off UK Coast
China’s Wedding Boom: Nightclubs, Mountains and a Demographic Reset
Fugees Founding Member Pras Michel Sentenced to 14 Years in High-Profile US Foreign Influence Case
WhatsApp’s Unexpected Rise Reshapes American Messaging Habits
United States: Judge Dressed Up as Elvis During Hearings – and Was Forced to Resign
Johnson Blasts ‘Incoherent’ Covid Inquiry Findings Amid Report’s Harsh Critique of His Government
Lord Rothermere Secures £500 Million Deal to Acquire Telegraph Titles
Maduro Tightens Security Measures as U.S. Strike Threat Intensifies
U.S. Envoys Deliver Ultimatum to Ukraine: Sign Peace Deal by Thursday or Risk Losing American Support
×