Fireman Sam: Man charged over messages to Lincolnshire fire chief

Image source, PA Media

Image caption, Fireman Sam - who was created in the 1980s by a London firefighter - was dropped by Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue for not being inclusive

22 October 2019

A man has been charged over malicious messages sent to a fire chief after Fireman Sam was axed as a mascot for a brigade.

The messages were sent to Lincolnshire's chief officer Les Britzman in September, police said.

Jeremy Flashman, 55, of Southminster, Essex, is due to appear at Lincoln Magistrates' Court on 31 October.

He is charged with sending a communication of an indecent or offensive nature.

The allegation relates to an email, telephone call and voicemail sent in September.

It comes after Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue Service dropped Fireman Sam from its promotional material, claiming the children's TV character, created in the 1980s, was outdated, not inclusive and could put women off joining.

Three fire extinguisher-shaped mascots, named Freddy, Filbert and Penelope, are to be used instead.