A firefighter who was caught by the police buying guns, ammunition and pepper spray online html 5 games sued bosses from prison for racism - because they sacked him.

Tyrone Bahar alleged the Royal Berkshire Fire Authority was 'institutionally racist' for firing him in light of his criminal offences.

An employment tribunal heard the firefighter, who was jailed for five years, felt the sanction to dismiss him was 'too severe'.

Whilst in jail, the firefighter sued the fire brigade for unfair dismissal and race and disability discrimination.

But his claims were thrown out after an employment judge found the authority was right to sack him, stating it was a perfectly 'reasonable response' to his crimes.




Tyrone Bahar, from Slough, was arrested at Birmingham Airport on his return from a holiday in Jamaica





Tyrone Bahar collected a stash of illegal weapons including a revolver and a forward venting blank firing pistol

The judge said a firefighter possessing dangerous weapons is 'not compatible' with the principles of a public servant who is 'entrusted with safeguarding'.

The tribunal in Reading heard Mr Bahar was employed by Royal Berkshire Fire Authority as a firefighter at the Langley station in December, 2003.

In 2011, Mr Bahar was certified as a competent firefighter.

Some seven years later, the firefighter's bosses were contacted by the National Crime Agency as part of an 'ongoing investigation' regarding 'the illegal purchase of firearms'.

Days after the NCA attended his workplace, Mr Bahar told his companies HR that he had been arrested and he was consequently advised to stay at home due to 'stress'.

Then, later that month, Mr Bahar was suspended 'on health and safety grounds' due to his 'arrest and its effects on his health' whist the investigation was underway.

His employers were informed the firefighter was arrested because he was suspected of importing and being in possession of restricted items.

Whilst the NCA did not find anything in his locker, several items were found in his car and home.

These included five firearms, nine gas canisters, three stun guns, two machetes, one baton (ASP), ammunition, as well as a 'quantity of white powder'.

For 11 months, Mr Bahar was suspended on full pay whilst an investigation was underway - but records stated his absence was due to 'stress' to maintain confidentiality.

In September 2019, the NCA told bosses Mr Bahar had been charged with 14 serious offences therefore Royal Berkshire Fire Authority commenced disciplinary proceedings.




Ammunition (pictured) was also discovered by National Crime Agency officers 

In August 2020, the first investigatory meeting was held and Mr Bahar told bosses whilst he accepted that he pleaded guilty to possessing firearms, he asserted that he had thought they were legal and would not have bought them if he had realised they were illegal.

The panel heard evidence from a psychological report, which stated the firefighter had a 'disorder of collecting items' and this hoarding 'could explain the behaviour exhibited by collecting several weapons'.

After lengthy back and forths deciding the outcome of the investigation, Mr Bahar was eventually informed via letter, in June 2021, that he had been dismissed.

The firefighter appealed this decision and his representatives said this 'sanction was too severe', but bosses deemed his dismissal as 'appropriate'.

The panel said Mr Bahar, then aged 44, was eventually sentenced on February 1, 2022, at Kingston Crown Court, London, to five years imprisonment.

He pleaded guilty to five counts of possession of a prohibited firearm, two counts of possessing ammunition without a firearms certificate and five counts of possessing a prohibited weapon, it said.

Among the items recovered by officers were a revolver, a forward venting blank firing pistol, eight spray canisters, two stun guns, 569 rounds of ammunition, a machete and an extendable baton.

Three further firearms, a stun gun and 145 rounds of ammunition were found at his mother's home.

Whilst his prison sentence was live, Mr Bahar brought forward a claim of unfair dismissal.

In a 251 page witness statement read by the panel, the firefighter alleged there was an 'unhelpful atmosphere' at the Royal Berkshire Fire Authority which was 'based on race'.

Mr Bahar alleged several incidents of race discrimination - by claiming his locker was urinated in, he was wrongfully accused of physically assaulting another employee, and he was subjected to racial abuse at training among others.

These claims were not upheld by EJ Thomas Talbot-Ponsonby who said: '[Mr Bahar's] case is that he perceives that there is institutional racism, and that he has suffered ongoing discrimination and harassment due to his race, which he feels is either tolerated or even condoned by management.

'The tribunal consider that, having regard to the pleaded case... [Mr Bahar] has not provided evidence to support this allegation.'

Addressing the claims of unfair dismissal, EJ Talbot-Ponsonby highlighted how Mr Bahar was employed as a public servant where he was 'entrusted with safeguarding the safety of members of the public'.

He said: 'He was required to comply with the Nolan principles.

'A conviction for possession of illegal firearms, weapons and ammunition is contrary to those principles and conflicts with his duties to members of the public as a firefighter.'

Concluding the employment tribunal, EJ Talbot-Ponsonby added: 'The tribunal accepts that the reason was that [Mr Bahar] had pleaded guilty to five counts of possessing an illegal firearm, two counts of possessing illegal ammunition and five further counts of possession of an illegal weapon.

'[This] was confirmation that he had been in possession of items not compatible with the behaviours and standards expected of an individual occupying the role of a firefighter whose duties include protecting the public to make the communities of Berkshire safer.'