(UK) Bogus fire officer directed crews in floods

[demoleft]

Source: The Guardian

A man obsessed with the fire service admitted posing as a senior officer to direct crews at the height of the flood crisis. When Peter Jennings, in full uniform, ordered pumping equipment to be moved to a pub in Tewkesbury, firefighters obeyed, leaving the town of Cheltenham a fire engine down.

Peter Ashby, prosecuting, said Jennings was known to the police and fire service in Liverpool after turning up at several incidents, sometimes wearing fire service uniform. Mr Ashby said he was "fixated" by the fire service.
Joan Hughes, defending, said: "He came down to Gloucestershire with good intentions. All he wanted to do was help. Unfortunately, he didn't realise that by deploying the pump he would be leaving Cheltenham without fire service cover."



Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/weather/Story/0,,2139732,00.html

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Stories from the UK flood.

More here, 'This is quite catastrophic ... but we shall get over it', from The Guardian, http://www.guardian.co.uk/weather/Story/0,,2139332,00.html
"Shortly before 3pm two Saturdays ago, Julian Bones' year of hard work building up his pub and hotel business seemed finally to be paying off."

News and videos, http://www.guardian.co.uk/weathernews/0,,179784,00.html

[mahatmakanejeeves]

1. NYCTA Subway Enthusiast

There's a subway enthusiast in New York City who used to enjoy commandeering a train every now and then and running. He's been nabbed a whole bunch of times. It's just what he enjoys.

Edited: this may be that person, or it could be someone else doing the same thing.

Google for subway enthusiast NYC Keron Thomas

[Ian David]

2. We should have had him here During Katrina. He would have done a better job than Brownie. n/t