West Midlands Chief Fire Officer Wayne Brown found dead at home amid false degree claims

West Midlands Chief Fire Officer Wayne Brown has been found dead in his home in Birmingham. West Midlands Police said: “We can confirm that we attended an address in Birmingham this morning where the body of a man in his 50s was sadly found.

"The death is not being treated as suspicious and we are liaising with the local coroner. A formal identification will take place in due course. The man’s family is being supported by specialist officers and our thoughts are with them at this time.”

A statement from Greg Brackenridge, chairman of West Midlands Fire and Rescue Authority, read: "We are devastated to report that our Chief Fire Officer, Wayne Brown, was this morning (24 January) found dead at his home address."

"The death is not being treated as suspicious by West Midlands Police. All our thoughts and love are with his family, his friends and his colleagues. We ask everyone that his family and his colleagues are given time and space at this tragic time."

This comes amid an investigation made against him for allegedly lying about possessing a master's degree. According to The Sun, Brown secured the top job last year after impressing the West Midlands Fire Service with his advanced qualification, which was required for the position.

But after concerns were raised by colleagues, London South Bank University confirmed it had no record of his Master of ­Business Administration degree. The report said Brown has since quietly removed it from his LinkedIn profile.

Brown served with the London Fire Brigade for 27 years before joining West ­Midlands Fire Service in 2019 as Deputy Chief Fire Officer. He was promoted last January. The service said it was looking into his qualifications as part of a formal inquiry.