Sheffield Liberal Democrat councillor Steve Ayris was left angered today after the South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Authority meeting when South Yorkshire Labour Councillors closed ranks around disgraced chair Cllr. Jim Andrews.

Cllr. Steve Ayris says

There is no question that Jim Andrews has acted unconstitutionally and way beyond his designated powers, not once, but twice, in authorising these payments and concealing them from the wider fire authority and the public

I am disgusted that Labour councillors are more interested in protecting one of their own than doing what is right for the people of South Yorkshire

The majority Labour group blocked a motion calling for the Chair of the SYFRA, Cllr. Jim Andrews resignation, which Cllr. Ayris attempted to table and prevented legitimate questions being posed to the chair

Cllr. Andrews, who is also Deputy Leader of Barnsley council, receives almost £13,000 Special Responsibility Allowance annually as Chair of the SYFRA, has been under fire from opposition councillors, the public and the Fire Brigades Union regarding overtime payments to Senior Fire Officers made during the fire brigades strikes in 2009 and 2013

Payments to senior staff, which total £139,474, were authorised by Chair of the Fire and Rescue Authority, Jim Andrews, without the knowledge of the wider fire authority. An investigation was launched within the South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Authority after The Yorkshire Post discovered overtime payments running into tens of thousands of pounds were made to chief fire officers already in receipt of salary packages worth up to £185,000.