A SURGE in tribunals, compensation claims and injury award cases has forced Hampshire fire brigade to overspend on legal fees by £57,000, The Gazette can reveal.

Just £9,000 had been set aside for the legal expenses budget for this financial year, but an "unprecedented number" of employment cases lodged against the brigade has left fire chiefs with a staggering bill of £66,000.

The cases include the tribunal lodged by union officials Steve Ash, Richard Carrington and Simon Green, who won their case.

The brigade faced further costs when it unsuccessfully appealed against the tribunal's decision.

Cash was also used for legal representation in the case of five suspended firefighters accused of bullying and harassing staff at Basingstoke station in April 1999.

Fire chiefs say money has also been spent on technical fire safety and health and safety matters and to cover the costs of letters and phone calls between the brigade and its lawyers.

However, the brigade refused to reveal how much it had spent on individual cases, although a spokesman said this was the first year there had been any employment tribunal action.

Members of Hampshire Fire Authroity this week questioned the massive overspend.

Councillor Liz Barron said: "We don't appear to be very successful with this large overspend on legal representation.

"I see the Fire Brigade Union are represented by expert legal advisors and with the best will in the world I don't think we are."

Cllr Barron added: "We need to find people who are experts in things related to the fire service.

"I would like to know how successful we were in the 733 per cent overspend. Was it spent wisely and could there have been a better way of spending it?"

Cllr Barron asked for a report on the appeals and tribunals to be included on the agenda of the next fire authority meeting so that councillors could find out what posistion the service was in, but said it would probably have to be discussed in private.

Hampshire's chief fire officer Malcolm Eastwood agreed with Cllr Barron and said: "I can tell you that we have gone to the private sector to secure legal advice.

"We have sought legal advisors who are ostensibly professional in their role and who have a speciality in our role."