Wayne Brown became the UK’s first black fire chief. Less than a year later, he killed himself

The Dispatch reveals new details about a tragic suicide and the ensuing crisis in the West Midlands Fire Service

Dear Patchers — in 2023, Wayne Brown made history. He was appointed as the UK’s first-ever black fire chief, heading up the service in the West Midlands. 

But after less than a year in the role, Brown was dead, having taken his own life hours after learning of an investigation into damaging claims against him. Over several years a whistleblower — believed to be vexatious by the fire service — had made allegations about Brown’s conduct. In January one of those allegations, that Brown had falsely claimed to have an MBA on his CV in order to secure his high-ranking job, turned out to be true. 

The Dispatch has seen documents that reveal the meetings that took place between senior fire officers in the days and hours before Brown’s suicide. We now know that on the day before his death, senior fire officers discussed convening a meeting to consider his suspension. 

The question of how to treat Brown’s legacy has been fraught. His successor told The Dispatch Brown was a “trailblazing inspiration” and hundreds attended his funeral in London. Several people online have suggested the backlash against him is racially motivated. But others within the fire service are unhappy. Questions have been raised over the continued veneration of a man who they say lied to obtain a highly lucrative position.

That’s the topic of today’s Dispatch. To read it in full, you’ll need to sign up as a paying member. That’s because our journalism is reader-funded. All of our costs, from staff salaries to lawyer’s fees to teabags and instant coffee, are funded by you, the reader. By doing things this way we can guarantee that our journalism is serving you, rather than advertisers. If you want access to all of our writing, and to support us in our mission to bring more high-quality journalism to the West Midlands, please sign up by hitting the button.

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We are also incredibly happy to tell you that our little company is growing. We are on the lookout (again) for another full-time staff writer in Birmingham to develop fascinating ideas and write gripping stories. What’s more, Mill Media — The Dispatch’s parent company — will launch two new publications this year, one in Glasgow and one in London. If you have experience in reporting, editing, social media, or sales and you want to be part of this exciting development in UK media take a look at the Mill Media jobs page. Salaries for the different roles range from £25-50,000 a year, dependent on experience. Check out this article in the Financial Times to find out why we are going on a big hiring spree and what it means for local journalism.

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Brum in brief

🌳Smithfield Park plans: The £1.9 billion city centre Smithfield development — poised for the big concrete patch near Chinatown that used to be the wholesale markets — has been recommended for approval. The developer Lendlease has agreed to increase the size of one of two new parks that will be included in the scheme after members of the Birmingham City Council planning committee raised concerns that there was not enough open space. Under the new arrangement, Lendlease have agreed the minimum size of Smithfield Park will be 23% bigger than originally planned.

But The Dispatch understands campaign group CityPark4Brum are concerned that the park is still too small and that rushing to agree the plans now will mean disappointing residents in the long run. They want the council to consider the long-term benefit of a substantial city centre park for future generations and think the decision should be delayed until the city’s new CEO, Joanne Roney, is in position. The committee meets next week to make its decision — we’ll keep you updated.

🥊Kicking butts: George Galloway has said he intends to “kick backsides” in Birmingham during this general election campaign. The Workers Party of Great Britain leader was in Sparkbrook on Tuesday to endorse candidates from his own party and independents who are standing on a pro-Palestine ticket. The Workers Party has hopefuls standing in Birmingham, Bromsgrove, Aldridge-Brownhills, Coventry, Dudley and Halesowen. Mr Galloway said: “The two main parties are two cheeks of the same backside and they want to give it a kick.” Read more from the BBC.

🎛️In Pursuit of Repetitive Beats: Be transported back to 1989 and the early days of Acid House in the West Midlands with Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery’s upcoming exhibition. Visitors will be able to don a virtual reality headset and explore the different spaces that defined an iconic era of electronic music, from pirate radio stations to secret warehouses, encountering stories as they go. Opening next month until September, book tickets from £21.50 here.

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Wayne Brown became the UK’s first black fire chief. Less than a year later, he killed himself

By Michael Gillard and Jack Walton

On 1 March 2024, Wayne Brown was laid to rest at Southwark Cathedral in London. Members of the London Fire Brigade sang Amazing Grace. Flags flew at half-mast. Up in the West Midlands, fire crews held a minute’s silence during the funeral service.

“You embodied people, professionalism and pride, which will forever be synonymous with you in our service,” were the words of a voiceover in a video produced by the West Midlands Fire Service (WMFS) paying tribute to Brown during the service, which showed footage of firefighters standing outside their station. “You were a true inspiration. Absolutely one of a kind.”

Brown was the UK’s first black fire chief. But on the morning of 24 January this year, less than a year after his historic appointment by the WMFS, he was found dead in his Birmingham home, having taken his own life. 

Hours before his suicide, Brown learned that a formal investigation had opened into a CV fraud he was alleged to have committed. The allegation — that he had lied in his application to the £180,000-a-year role by claiming to have an MBA (Master of Business Administration) qualification — was made by a fire safety consultant who had spent the past few years attempting to expose Brown as a fraud and a liar. And though four months have now passed since his death, the treatment of Wayne Brown’s legacy remains a divisive issue within WMFS.

The fire service has continued to rally behind Brown and defend his name. Some have even argued that the case against him was racially motivated and based on the vexatious allegations of a single, agenda-driven individual. In March, the conservative commentator Lin Mei wrote on X: “The fire service watched & aided this man being harassed and racially profiled till he committed suicide.” 

Others, though — some of whom have spoken to The Dispatch — have expressed concern that a man who died before serious allegations were fully investigated continues to be venerated by the powers that be.

Now, The Dispatch is able to reveal the full story, including the meetings that took place between Brown and senior West Midlands fire chiefs in the days before his death. What emerges is a complicated picture. It’s clear Brown did mislead the service by falsely claiming to have an MBA — a fact now accepted by WMFS, and something that has caused anger among some of his former colleagues. But many at WMFS continue to talk highly of Brown and his legacy. His successor, Oliver Lee, told The Dispatch he was “a trailblazing inspiration to many”.

Wayne Brown. Illustration by Jake Greenhalgh.

‘Much loved by his colleagues’

When Wayne Brown was appointed as fire chief for the West Midlands in 2023, he was making history. Greg Brackenridge, the chair of WMFS, lauded Brown’s “vision for the service” and said he was capable of providing “excellent leadership”. Brown himself said he was “delighted to step up,” adding that his employer was “one of the country’s leading and most respected fire and rescue services.”

But one man was less sure. Over a period of several years, a whistleblower had raised concerns about Brown with Brackenridge and HM Inspectorate of Constabulary, Fire & Rescue Services. His allegations were serious: numerous counts of corruption and mismanagement by Brown and others. The emails documenting his claims were copied and sent to local MPs Andrew Mitchell, Preet Gill and Jess Phillips.

The whistleblower’s name was Ben Walker. Walker runs a business as a fire instructor and has authored several training manuals. As well as his efforts to shine a light on Brown, he also says he was a source in an investigation by ITV into the culture of racism and misogyny in the fire service. To some, he has tirelessly helped to expose a lot of poor behaviour and worse in the fire service. But others have questioned his motivations, and the validity of his allegations.