The West Midlands chief fire officer who resigned after he was arrested on child porn allegations had his laptop stolen days before the arrest, it has been claimed.
Frank Sheehan, 55, resigned from his £140,000 a year post citing “personal reasons”. He was arrested by police on Tuesday and bailed on suspicion of making indecent images of children. He has been released on bail pending further inquiries.
It is believed he was picked up by officers at his home in Sutton Coldfield where he lives with his wife, Linda, and daughter Rebecca.
The brigade boss, who was one of the most senior in the UK, was due to retire next September and has since been bailed pending further enquiries.
It is believed that a computer was reported stolen by Mr Sheehan days before his arrest.
And a neighbour of Mr Sheehan, who did not wish to be named, said a police car had visited the house “a few days before” about an alleged car break in.
A Birmingham firefighter, who did not wish to be named, said: “I know that he had a computer stolen and police were investigating. Clearly somebody in his position would have had a lot of sensitive information, it’s not like a normal bloke on the street losing a computer, so they took it very seriously.”
Sheehan, who was made a CBE earlier this year, rose through the ranks from firefighter to chief fire officer after joining the service in 1975.
He is also a holder of the Queen’s Fire Service Medal for services to community fire safety and personally endorsed and launched the Red Balloon Appeal at Birmingham Children’s Hospital to open a £19 million burns unit in May.
