An Ilkley fireman has won his appeal against dismissal.

Paul Chapman, 24, said the dismissal had been overturned at a hearing yesterday but added that he had been asked to resign.

He said: "There was not enough evidence against me and the dismissal was overturned.

"They've asked me to resign and I'm seeking legal advice from a solicitor.

"They didn't really give me a reason.

"I'm a lot happier than I was and feel a bit of justice has been done and that they have actually listened to my side of the story."

A spokesman for the fire authority said he could not comment on the outcome of the appeal until other disciplinary hearings into alleged misconduct by retained firefighters at Ilkley Fire Station had been heard. They are expected to be completed by the end of January.

Yesterday's appeal was heard at West Yorkshire Fire and Civil Defence Authority's headquarters in Birkenshaw.

A spokesman for the authority said disciplinary hearings involving three other firefighters were due to take place over the next couple of weeks.

He said: "The disciplinary hearings are scheduled to finish this month and we'll have to wait and see whether or not there will be any appeals.''

An internal inquiry was launched by the fire service during the summer after allegations of misconduct came to light.

The inquiry, which is thought to have included interviews with all 19 part-time firemen at the Little Lane station, was completed in December.

Last September the Telegraph & Argus reported that one retained firefighter, Paul Chapman, had been sacked and lodged an appeal against his dismissal.

He told the T&A he was dismissed over an alleged ''scuffle'' at the fire station in June, said any allegations of sexual misconduct at the station were false and that the investigation had been launched as a result of ''vicious rumours'' in the town.

In September fire service officials asked the police to look into a number of allegations including one that a woman was raped by part-time firefighters.

The police, who said they never received a direct complaint of rape, subsequently said all the allegations, bar one of theft, had been dismissed.

A 36-year-old man from Ilkley was arrested in connection with the alleged theft but later released from his police bail without charge and with the police saying no further action would be taken.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.