AN interim fire chief has dramatically resigned just days after being suspended.

Oliver Lee, the interim chief of West Midlands Fire Service (WMFS), took to social media to quit saying that he would not be gagged. 

The move comes just four days after the service suspended him. They took action after a previous post he made on the networking site, LinkedIn, in which he criticised the fire service saying it lacked 'courage, transparency, care and honesty.'

Taking again to social media to resign, Mr Lee claimed he was faced with a High Court injunction to stay silent on “vital subjects in the public interest” as his reasoning to quit.

In a dramatic post on LinkedIn, he said: “I will not be gagged. Nor will I destroy my family with vast legal bills.

“I have therefore resigned in order to do what is right.

“West Midlands Fire Service will now sadly continue as was when I inherited it: scared, cowed and not able to be itself."

Mr Lee went on to wage a series of accusations against the leadership claiming he had “told everyone up to the Home Office” about his concerns.

Mr Lee was suspended from his role at WMFS on Monday, October 7.

In a statement released on Monday morning, WMFS said: “This is not a decision the Fire Authority ever wanted to have to take, or takes lightly.

“The Fire Authority sought external, independent legal advice before making this decision, and, in line with the Fire Authority Constitution, the suspension is subject to ratification by the full Fire Authority on Monday 14 October.

“If this is upheld, a process to appoint an independent person to investigate will be undertaken. You will understand that it would not be right to comment further on the specifics.

“In what has been a very difficult year for West Midlands Fire Service (WMFS), it is hugely deflating for all involved that we have reached this point, and we realise this will cause further public concern.

“The day-to-day running of the service continues under the Deputy Chief Fire Officer, Simon Barry, supported by the rest of the leadership team.

“They remain fully focused on ensuring our people can continue to deliver a vital and outstanding emergency service to the communities of the West Midlands.

“The issues that Mr Lee raised publicly concerning the governance of the Fire and Rescue Service will continue to be investigated independently and reported to the Fire Authority for consideration.

“They will also share such findings with our external auditors, His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services, and other such key stakeholders as necessary.”

Mr Lee was appointed interim chief in March, following the death of the service’s previous chief, Wayne Brown, in January 2024.

At the time of his death, it was announced that Mr Brown had been placed under investigation regarding claims that had been made about him.

WMFS has been contacted but was unavailable to comment.