Fire chief arrested for DIY theft Mr Bull was awarded a CBE in 2003
A chief fire officer with a salary of more than £100,000 has been cautioned for stealing doorstops worth less than £5 from a DIY store, police confirmed. Richard Bull, of the Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service, accepted a formal police caution for shoplifting.
Mr Bull, 53, who is a CBE and was awarded the Queen’s Fire Service Medal, was caught with the £4.60 doorstops at the B&Q store in Sunderland on Friday.
The fire service has so far not commented on Mr Bull’s arrest.
A spokeswoman for Northumbria Police said: "A 53-year-old Sunderland man was cautioned by Northumbria Police after a report of a theft at the B&Q store in Trimdon Street, Sunderland on Friday, 15 April.
"He was detained by staff who called police. He was formally cautioned for theft at Gilbridge Avenue Police Station and released the same afternoon.
“The theft involved doorstops valued at £4.60.”
If Richard has a problem it is that he is a workaholic and he doesn’t know when to say ‘no’
Alan Doig, president of the Chief Fire Officers’ Association
A spokesman for Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service said it had no comment to make.
Mr Bull, from Sunderland, joined his local fire brigade in 1970 and was appointed chief in 1995. He was awarded the Queen’s Fire Service Medal in 1998.
He was later awarded the CBE in the 2003 New Year’s Honours List.
The president of the Chief Fire Officers’ Association (CFOA) said Mr Bull was a workaholic who was held in the highest regard by his peers.
Alan Doig, who leads Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service and followed Mr Bull into the role of president of the CFOA, described the incident as an aberration.
Mr Doig said his friend’s heavy workload could have been a factor in the incident.
He said: "If Richard has a problem it is that he is a workaholic and he doesn’t know when to say ‘no’.
"This is a once-in-a-lifetime event set against 36 years of exemplary service.
“It will not dent his professional contribution, nor his personal standing.”
source BBC News
