Fire chief in salary row to retire as authority battles to cut costs

Mark Smitherman, who has been in charge of South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue since 2004, will retire next April after 32 years service in the fire service.

South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Authority said the 49-year-old's retirement would "pave the way for a restructure of the service's principal officer team". It is planned to reduce the number of directors from five to four, a move the authority said would "facilitate an annual saving of well over 300,000".

During his time at the helm, Mr Smitherman has been forced to deal with industrial action by members of the FBU who were unhappy at his plans to introduce new shifts. He also faced criticism earlier this year after it was revealed his salary had risen from 120,000 three years ago to between 160,000 and 165,000 in 2010.

Mr Smitherman said: "I have enjoyed my career immensely, and I am especially proud of the achievements made by everyone at South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue in the last seven years.

"It is the right time for me to leave the service, to enable the authority to put in place a managerial structure which will see it through the challenges ahead. It goes without saying that I am absolutely committed to using my remaining time as chief fire officer to do everything I can to keep making South Yorkshire people safer, and to prepare the service for the future."

The fire authority said full details of the restructure are still being finalised and a new chief would be announced in due course.