Chiefs charged over firefighters’ deaths

Paul Simmons, Adrian Ashley and Timothy Woodward will face charges of manslaughter by gross negligence over the deaths of Ian Reid, John Averis, Ashley Stephens and Darren Yates- Bradley in the blaze in a warehouse in Atherstone-on-Stour in 2007, the Crown Prosecution Service said.

All three are managers for Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service.

Warwickshire County Council faces a charge of failing to ensure the health and safety at work of its employees, under Section 2 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.

The defendants will appear at Leamington Spa Magistrates’ Court on April 1.

Nine other individuals, who were investigated by Warwickshire Police, have been told that there was insufficient evidence to take any action against them, the CPS said.

A spokesman for Warwickshire Police welcomed the announcement. “Our thoughts are with the families of the four firefighters who died.”