THE chief officer of Dorset's fire service - criticised in a report for having a underlying culture of misogyny and sexism - is to retire.

Ben Ansell, Chief Fire Officer of Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service, announced his decision to step down at the end of the year, having completed more than 30 years of service.

Mr Ansell was appointed the new chief officer in 2016, taking over from the late Darran Gunter.

He had joined as a firefighter in 1994 and moved on to work in numerous areas before being appointed assistant chief in 2012.

Mr Ansell was at the head of the service in 2023 when an independent review uncovered ‘serious and concerning’ issues in the workplace culture of Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service.

An ‘underlying culture of misogyny and sexism’ was found by the review team, after speaking to around 200 current and former members of staff.

The report was commissioned by the service after allegations made in the media by whistle-blowers.

It found that inappropriate behaviour was common, and often went unchallenged by other members of the service, including management.

Among the findings was a culture of ‘banter’ and ‘canteen culture’, as well as a perception of a ‘boys club’ among senior management.

Mr Ansell said at the time that he found reading some of the experiences ‘uncomfortable’, and he apologised for them.

Mr Ansell said in a statement today that he felt 'honoured' to have led the newly combined service since 2016 as Chief Fire Officer and has been 'humbled by the collective trust placed in him to lead such a fantastic organisation'.

Reflecting on his tenure, he said “I am immensely proud of the progress we have made together as an organisation, particularly during the challenging times we have faced.

"The decision has not been made lightly, but I believe it is the right time for me to step down and allow for new leadership to guide our service forward.”

Cllr Paul Oatway, Chair of the Fire and Rescue Authority, said: “It is a sad day for the authority and service to lose such an enthusiastic and dynamic leader but I fully support and understands Ben’s decision to retire after over 30 years of service, having led the organisation as an exceptional Chief Fire Officer and respected both locally and nationally for the past eight years.”