AN Essex firefighter has been suspended after he allegedly tried to stop a senior official taking away specialist equipment from a fire engine.

It is understood the firefighter confronted the fire service’s assistant divisional officer, Mark Turnbull, when he visited Southend fire station on Friday.

Sources claim top brass at the fire service want to remove specialist cutting equipment from fire engines in preparation for possible strikes by members of the Fire Brigades Union, expected later this year.

Last week, more than 500 members of the Essex FBU decided to take action over plans to cut an extra 100 full-time firefighters and 60 retained staff from across the county by 2016.

A source said senior officers were visiting fire stations to remove the specialist equipment, which is used to free passengers from vehicles after road crashes.

The equipment is based at Southend, Grays, Harlow, Chelmsford and Colchester.

A spokesman for the fire service said: “We can confirm a firefighter was suspended on Friday. This matter, which relates to inappropriate behaviour, is now subject to an internal disciplinary process and we cannot comment further.”