Who is Wayne Brown? West Midlands fire chief under investigation over claims he lied about masters degree to get job

Wayne Brown, the chief fire officer at the West Midlands Fire Service, is being investigated for allegedly lying about possessing a master’s degree to be promoted.

Brown was employed at the West Midlands as a deputy chief fire officer since 2019 and applied for a promotion to chief fire officer – a position he now holds – in the latter half of 2022.

According to The Sun, possessing a master’s degree was a compulsory requirement for the position. In his interview, Wayne Brown impressed his superiors with his Master of Business Administration degree from London South Bank University. Brown was promoted to the role in January 2023, which upgraded his salary to £180,000 a year.

An insider in the West Midlands claimed to Daily Mail that most employees in the fire service have second-hand things and didn't get a pay raise, while Brown arrived at work in his new Range Rover.

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Wayne Brown worked for the London Fire Brigade for 27 years before the West Midlands

Wayne Brown, 53, has had a long-standing career in the fire services. According to his LinkedIn profile, Brown first joined the London Fire Brigade in January 2004, as a station manager in training & development.

In 2006, he was appointed the station manager at the Clerkenwell Fire Station, where he worked for the next three years. In 2009, Brown was made a group manager, following which he took on the role of a borough commander.

Wayne Brown bid farewell to the London Fire Brigade in 2019 as a deputy assistant commission to join the West Midlands Fire Service as a deputy chief officer.

In his interview for promotion to the role of chief fire officer, Brown allegedly claimed to have a master’s degree from London South Bank University. He also mentioned being a pro footballer at Charlton Athletic, which reportedly impressed his superiors, resulting in his promotion with an upgraded pay of £180,000 a year.

Wayne Brown’s appointment to the role came after the retirement of Phil Loach, who was West Midlands’ chief fire officer before Brown. Ever since Brown took on the role, concerns were raised by colleagues about his honesty.

Earlier this week, the London South Bank University confirmed to West Midlands that it has no record of Brown getting his master’s degree from the institution. According to The Sun, it has since emerged that Brown’s claim of being a pro footballer was also allegedly false.

He was not a part of the Charlton Athletic pro team but was only associated with the club in a youth training scheme.

The West Midlands Fire Service gave a statement to The Sun:

“We’re aware of claims referencing our Chief Fire Officer and West Midlands Fire Service. Formal enquiries and processes, in line with our Fire Authority’s constitution, are now ongoing in relations to the matters raised. We will undertake this thoroughly and fairly.”

If, in the course of the investigation, Wayne Brown is proven to have lied about his degree, it could amount to the officer being convicted of fraud by false representation.