The suffolk Hyde Affair - Doc 143 Suffolk Retained Fireman

Suffolk County Council

Fire Service

M Hyde Esq
Lowestoft

KES/DISC/Hyde/SIS
ACFO Seager
(01473) 588939
27th April 1999

Dear Mr Hyde,

Fire services (Discipline) Regulations, 1985

Thank you for your fax of the 26th April notifying me that Mr Craig Jones of Messrs Thompsons is dealing on your behalf with your discipline and grievance matters.

Whilst I am happy to copy items to Mr Jones, I cannot deal exclusively with Mr Jones as you request.
Where documents must be served, or if it necessary to issue orders, say for instance for your attendance at a disciplinary hearing, I believe I must ensure that you are dealt with in person, rather than through an intermediary. If you disagree, please let me know.

Can I also ask, whilst writing, whether or not Mr Wigglesworth continues to be your accused friend, and if so whether or not I should continue to copy correspondence to him in addition to Mr Jones?

I feel I ought to point out for the aviodance of doubt that you are only entitled to be represented at a hearing by "….a member of a fire brigade selected by [you] of a rank junior to that of the officer hearing the case" – (notes for guidance, annex D, paragraph 6 – page 13). This rules out legal representation at this stage.

If anything in this letter is unclear, please do not hesitate to contact me again.

Yours sincerely

K. E. Seager,
Assistant Chief Fire Officer (Technical)
Brigade Investigating Officer