`Red hot' video led to sack from fire service

A firefighter was sacked after making a "hard-core" pornographic video with his girlfriend which joked about the fire service, an industrial tribunal was told yesterday.

Sub Officer Mark Gregory, 26, is heard in the film telling the woman to say "what do you think of the firemen now" and "this one's for Red Watch".

Mr Gregory, of Nuthall, Nottinghamshire, was sacked for gross misconduct from Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service last August after copies of the video were circulated and shown in at least five fire stations across the county.

The Nottingham tribunal heard Mr Gregory made the film in a hotel in West Bridgford, Nottingham, with his girlfriend in March last year.

Assistant Chief Fire Officer Trevor Newton, who investigated the case and watched the video, told the tribunal that Red Watch had later been shown the film. He said: "This was clearly a reference to the fire service.

"I saw a considerable part of the video. It was very pornographic in nature and quite clearly featured Sub Officer Gregory. I recognised him straight away. He appeared in the video with a girl called Janine. He was quite clearly directing this young lady as to what to do and where to go. It was not a soft glamour type video, it was hard-core pornography by any definition, confirmed by the police vice squad."

The references to the fire services "clearly suggested it was for more than private use".

Mr Newton said one officer had told him Mr Gregory had said he intended to "make a lot of money out of it".

He also claimed that Mr Gregory had distributed copies of the video to two colleagues - committing a criminal offence, although he had not been charged with a criminal offence - and had spoken openly about the film in particular to a number of women working in the fire service.

Mr Gregory admitted the film was pornographic but is claiming he was unfairly dismissed. He claims the fire brigade breached its regulations in dismissing him, its investigation of the facts was insufficient and he was never given written reasons for the dismissal. The former officer,who served with the brigade for eight years, said the video was intended to be private. He said: "I made the film off duty, in my own time and I was not in uniform."

He said that he only made copies after two friends asked for these and he intended the soundtrack to be erased and replaced with music.

The hearing continues today.