THE 11-month suspension of Essex’s chief fire officer has cost taxpayers more than £400,000, according to the union that represents him.

The Fire Officers’ Association has written to Essex Fire Authority to express concerns about the “prolonged” absence of David Johnson, who has been suspended with full pay since April 2015.

Mr Johnson was removed from his post pending an internal investigation into allegations of wrongdoing, which he denies.

The chief fire officer, whose salary is £224,954 per year, originally went on long-term sick leave in 2014.

He was formally suspended before he had the chance to return to work.

The association has called on Essex Fire Authority to clarify the status of the investigation.

It believes continuing to pay Mr Johnson while he is on leave is particularly concerning at a time when the service needs to make savings of £7million per year.

An overhaul of the service is likely to see between 138 and 234 frontline firefighter jobs axed.

An association spokesman said: “We estimate the 11 month suspension has so far cost Essex taxpayers in excess of £400,000.

“We consider this extremely disturbing when many firefighters in Essex are potentially facing redundancy due to the funding reduction.

“The association considers 11 months to be more than sufficient to conduct any investigation.”

An independent cultural review into the service by Irene Lucas CBE, published in September, stated Mr Johnson’s ongoing absence had “opened up a deficit at the heart of the organisation that has allowed the service to stagnate”.

The union has called on Essex County Council leader David Finch to examine the process, as it is unhappy with the response it has received from Essex Fire Authority.

Anthony Hedley, chairman of Essex Fire Authority, said: “Clearly this situation has taken some months to progress toward resolution.

“However, progress is being made, and the legal representatives engaged in resolving the issue have been working hard to bring matters to a conclusion.

“It is of the utmost importance that the process is robust, thorough, independent and fair, and fully complies with the law in relation to statutory officers.

“It is also important to remember the suspension of the chief fire officer is a neutral act and therefore any investigations must be conducted on the basis of the employee remaining on their full salary.”