A FORMER police community support officer - sacked by Lancashire Constabulary after being arrested over alleged domestic violence - has now been dismissed by the county’s fire service.

Paul Baden, then known as Paul McGladdery, hit the headlines in 2007 when he was questioned by colleagues on suspicion of attacking his then-partner.

An assault charge against the officer, which he denied, was eventually dropped by prosecutors when the case came to court.

But the incident was enough to merit the probationary PCSO, who covered the West Craven area, being kicked out of the force.

It has now emerged that McGladdery, who is understood to have subsequently changed his name to Baden, has also been booted out of the fire service. He is believed to be considering an appeal.

He is understood to have started out as a retained firefighter at Colne after he left the police.

Later he moved on to become full-time officer at Bacup, later transferring to work in Fleetwood.

Fire chiefs have declined to confirm the exact reasons behind Baden’s dismissal, but it is believed he has been suspended for the past seven months while the disciplinary process went on.

One source told the Lancashire Telegraph: “The brigade was warned by a fellow employee of the individual’s previous and ignored the facts.

“It has been a ridiculously drawn-out state of affairs which has been going for most of the year.”

A spokesman for Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service confirmed that an individual had been subject to an internal disciplinary procedure which had resulted in his dismissal and which has a right of appeal.

Before he was taken on by Lancashire Police, he had previously worked as a lifeguard and football coach at Pendle Leisure Centre in Colne.

Prosecutors in his 2007 assault case offered no evidence when the case eventually reached Burnley Magistrates Court.

JPs were told that the couple had been seeing each other in secret, despite bail conditions which had been designed to keep them apart.