'Fat' fireman stunned at sacking

A firefighter facing the sack over claims he was overweight has been left "stunned" after being dismissed for failing to improve his fitness enough.

Kevin Ogilvie was initially dismissed in 2008 after 22 years with Grampian Fire and Rescue Service.

He was then kept on, under conditions which included a three-month period in which to become fit.

Grampian Fire and Rescue said the key issue had been a failure to meet fitness targets, not weight.

Peter Murray, the service's assistant chief fire officer, said: "The target was set.

"The service had the right to terminate the contract and very sadly that's what we have had to do."

'No surprise'

Mr Oglivie declined to comment in detail, but told BBC Scotland he was "stunned".

The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) said Mr Oglivie's dismissal was "disappointing and unnecessary".

But FBU brigade secretary for the Grampian, Alan Paterson, said the move to terminate his contract was "no surprise".

He told BBC Scotland: "The three months stay of execution was unachievable, they had set the bar too high and it was designed to fail.

"We would have preferred to see a period of nine to 12 months."

Firefighters in the north east of Scotland had previously threatened industrial action in support over the case of Mr Ogilvie.

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