UNIONS today slammed Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service after a top officer was cleared of any wrongdoing following a lengthy suspension.

Assistant Chief Fire Officer John Williamson was exonerated after an independent inquiry following a row over a reference letter for a former colleague. It was alleged he had gone against procedures by drafting the letter.

He had been suspended on full pay for five months.

Mr Williamson, a member of both the Fire Brigade Union (FBU) and the Association for Principal Fire Officers (AFPO), said he was delighted at being cleared after his "nightmare." The unions said Mr Williamson, a former sub officer at Nelson, should never have been suspended in the first place.

Trevor Newton, of AFPO, said: "We are very disappointed at the way the brigade handled this. We said right at the outset that John would be exonerated by any official investigation and this proved to be the case.

"John has suffered tremendously over this I am not attacking the provision of suspension when it is done properly to protect both the individual and the brigade, but this time it was totally inappropriate."

Mr Williamson, who has been under his GP from the stress suffered during his suspension, said he had been fully supported by his friends and family.

And he scotched initial rumours as to why he was suspended, including the filtering of money for a fund set up to raise money for close friend Peter Ganci, the New York fire chief, who died in the World Trade Centre terrorist attack on September 11.

Mr Williamson said: "I have been devastated by all this, it has been tough for both me and my family and is frustrating when you know you have done nothing wrong.

"People sometimes put two and two together and get five. Some of the rumours were horrendous and simply not true."

Nobody at Lancashire Fire Service was available for comment.