IRENE Lucas CBE has pulled no punches in her commissioned report on Essex Fire Service.

Her comments are utterly scathing: “Toxic”, “dysfunctional”, “a failing organisation”, are just some of the terms used.

Most damningly of all, she concludes that the damaged state of the fire service could have a direct impact on the safety of the Essex public.

Ms Lucas is entirely independent, reporting objectively on her findings.

It is hard to see how anyone can take issue with the accuracy of her statements. When she reports that the fire service is a failing organisation, the Essex public must take her at her word.

These damning comments will not come as a surprise to the public. Years of openly fractious industrial relations, along with an embedded dinosaur-like resistance to any change at all, have pointed to an organisation that is institutionally sick.

Some of the failings, such as a top-heavy senior management, are easily remedied. The service needs a ground force of outside managers to come in and assert a root and branch reform.

We suspect both the fire service and union management are culpable for this terrible state of affairs.

Despite this, firefighters continue to deliver a good service. They deserve better from both.