Fire chief gets death threat after punishing firemen for shining torches on gay foursome

Avon Fire and Rescue boss Kevin Pearson said he had also received up to 300 abusive emails since he fined the men he accused of bringing the service into disrepute.

They are believed to have driven their fire engine to a notorious spot on the Bristol Downs late on the evening of June 27 this year.

The area is notoriously used by people who engage in late-night outdoor sex.

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The firefighters, who have not been named, are alleged to have shone torches directly into an area where people were thought to be having sex.

A complaint was made to Aids and HIV charity, the Terrence Higgins Trust, by a member of the public who wanted to know what the firefighters were doing on the Downs at that time of the evening.

The complaint was passed on by the charity to AF&RS and a three-month investigation into the incident launched.

The firefighters were suspended on full pay during the incident and were later fined and transferred to other stations.

But the disciplinary action provoked an angry backlash - with many accusing the service of pushing political correctness to the extreme.

"The reaction we got from the media [shows] that homophobia is evidently still widespread in our society," Mr Pearson told BBC Radio Bristol.

"It is not my job to make judgments about people's lifestyle. It is my job to make judgments about the behaviour and actions of my staff.

"There was no evidence of illegal or sexual activity. The reports made a connection to activities that may or may not take place on Clifton Downs.

"I would point out to people that whatever their views on disciplinary sanctions, the officers involved were advised they could appeal and none of those involved chose to."

Mr Pearson will have to explain why he disciplined the men at an Extraordinary Meeting of Avon Fire Authority next week, after a local councillor demanded to know what the men had done wrong.

AF&RS held an anti discrimination conference this week entitled - Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Equality in the Fire Service: An absolute taboo?

The four disciplined fire fighters are thought to have attended the event as part of their punishment.