A FIRE chief has paid tribute to an Amesbury firefighter who passed away suddenly on Friday (August 18).

Chief Fire Officer at the Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service, Ben Ansell, has ‘with great sadness’ confirmed the death of Dean Hardy, a firefighter at the town station.

“It is with great sadness that I confirm, on behalf of his family, the sudden passing of one of our colleagues,” CFO Ansell said.

“Firefighter Dean Hardy, from Amesbury fire station, passed away on Friday, August 18, at his home.

“I speak on behalf of the entire service when I say that we are all shocked and saddened by this news, and our thoughts and deepest condolences go out to his family, friends, colleagues and loved ones.”

Dean joined the DWFRS in March 2023, CFO Ansell said, and was ‘a dedicated and highly valued’ colleague.

“He brought with him significant experience from his primary employment as an MoD firefighter,” he said.

In remembrance and as a mark of respect to Dean, all Union flags at DWFRS venues will be flown at half mast until 8am on Thursday (August 24), the day after Amesbury’s weekly drill night, he added.