Nazir Afzal to lead review of culture in London Fire Brigade after Black firefighter’s death

A top former prosecutor is to chair an independent and wide-ranging review into the culture of the London Fire Brigade (LFB) after the death of a young trainee firefighter.

Jaden Matthew Francois-Esprit took his life at home in August last year – three weeks after his 21st birthday.

Nazir Afzal, former Chief Crown Prosecutor for North West England, was chosen by a selection panel to lead the scrutiny of how the fire and rescue service supports its new recruits, and how it handles diversity – including neurodiversity.

The review will examine issues surrounding mental health as well as race and gender, with internal data showing that ethnic minority recruits are less likely to promoted while being more likely to be subject to formal and informal disciplinary procedures.

Mr Afzal, also former chief executive of the Association of Police & Crime Commissioners, said: “Soon, a wider review panel, reporting to me, will be in place who will bring their own ideas and experience to the review.

“It is an honour to have been asked to lead this independent review and I look forward to finding out much more about the London Fire Brigade.”

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Mr Francois-Esprit was a trainee at Wembley fire station, in north London, on the LFB’s apprenticeship scheme.

His family feared he was being bullied due to his race and being teased for eating Caribbean food, St Pancras Coroner’s Court heard.

His mother Linda Francois said her son was being “unfavourably singled out because he’s an ethnic minority” and that her son told her that his “crew manager” was bullying him.

The inquest – that ended in February – had also heard that Mr Francois-Esprit, from Wapping in east London, made 16 transfer requests to four stations in the capital over a period of six months before his death.

Colleagues felt that he was “frustrated” and “bored” with the job, but did not think he was being bullied.

Lewis Gunn, a lead firefighter at Wembley, said: “I knew he didn’t feel like we were busy enough, I think that’s a realisation that every firefighter comes to after going through training.”

He also said he was unaware that Mr Francois-Esprit struggled with dyslexia, but said he had noticed he had become more withdrawn and short-tempered in the months before he died.

Mr Gunn said: “I asked him if he was happy in the job and if he was happy at the station – he didn’t seem that happy.”

Another colleague, Sean Nunkoosing, said he knew Mr Francois-Esprit was frustrated in the job but that to say he was being bullied would be “too strong a word to describe his time at Wembley”.

Following an inquest in February, senior coroner Mary Hassell said it was clear that Mr Francois-Esprit had “a really vivid interior life which was somewhat at odds with what was going on around him”.

She expressed concern that his mental health struggles had gone “undetected by those around him”.

In a report to LFB, she wrote: “Jaden felt he was being treated unfairly at work and his family have formed the view that there was an element of racism there, driven in part by their belief that Jaden was the only non white person on Wembley Green Watch.

“Yet the reality was that he joined a watch where a quarter of the firefighters were people of colour.”

Ms Hassell added: “Jaden’s interior life did not always accord with what was going on around him. Most of all he felt isolated, and yet it was clear to me that he there was a lot of affection for him at the fire station. He did not always feel comfortable there.

“It is not necessarily an easy task to unearth such feelings in a colleague but, if it results in such a tragedy as this being avoided, it is a worthwhile one.”

In the report, she urged LBF: “Action should be taken to prevent future deaths and I believe that you have the power to take such action.”

London Fire Commissioner Andy Roe announced earlier this year his plan to establish the review to look into all aspects of LFB’s culture after an internal investigation was carried out.

He said: “Our internal investigation into Jaden’s death, and the inquest, unearthed tough questions. I firmly believe that this review will result in a better experience for everyone who works for LFB and for the people of London we are trusted to serve and protect.”

Mr Roe – a Sandhurst-trained former army captain – added: “I believe that an independently-led, external review is the most robust way to help improve the Brigade.

“These are not easy issues for us to tackle – and I am delighted to welcome Nazir and his team to the Brigade as they start to look at all aspects of our culture.

“He will look at everything from headquarters, to the culture at our fire stations and other sites across London.

“I will be accountable for the Brigade delivering actions that arise from this review, which I hope will mean everyone within London Fire Brigade feels better supported and more able to bring their whole selves to work.”

The review into LFB’s culture – supported by the London branch of the Fire Brigades Union and the Mayor of London – is expected to be completed by November 2022.