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White men have been banned from fire brigade recruitment sessions because bosses want to hit their diversity targets.
Four out of five "open" days held by Avon Fire Service in South west England were restricted to women and ethnic minorities.
Critics last night accused the West Country brigade of discrimination. An MP said the move would fuel resentment and undermine race relations.
Avon's bosses insist their ban on white men is simply "positive action".
Back in October, the same brigade demoted a fire crew who shone their torches at four men they found having sex in bushes.
The decision sparked an outcry from critics who claimed it was politically correct madness.
In the latest incident, five "have-a-go" days at the brigade's Bristol HQ were set up to allow potential job applicants to try out firefighting equipment.
They also had the chance to chat to staff and learn more about selection tests ahead of an application deadline next week.
Two of the six-hour sessions have been limited strictly to women and ethnic minorities. Another was for women only and a fourth was laid on exclusively for ethnic minorities. Only today's event is open to everyone, allowing white men to attend.
Philip Davies, Tory MP for Shipley in West Yorkshire, said: "This sort of thing just makes people's blood boil and does more damage than good to race relations in this country.
"How would people react if women and black people were banned from an open day?
"I don't care whether the fire service is only made up of ethnic-minority women - as long as they are the best people at fighting fires.
"If the chief fire officer is so concerned, he should give up his job to an ethnic minority woman instead of depriving other white men of a job."
One Avon fireman, speaking anonymously, warned that the targeted recruitment drives were 'not helpful' and would cause resentment.
"It has a very negative effect on everyone," he added.
"When you see people from black and ethnic communities the first thing you think is 'has he or she only got the job because of their minority origin?"
"It's not helpful to them as they may also feel that this is the case. Open, across-the-board recruitment is the only way to stop this."
Article
Four out of five "open" days held by Avon Fire Service in South west England were restricted to women and ethnic minorities.
Critics last night accused the West Country brigade of discrimination. An MP said the move would fuel resentment and undermine race relations.
Avon's bosses insist their ban on white men is simply "positive action".
Back in October, the same brigade demoted a fire crew who shone their torches at four men they found having sex in bushes.
The decision sparked an outcry from critics who claimed it was politically correct madness.
In the latest incident, five "have-a-go" days at the brigade's Bristol HQ were set up to allow potential job applicants to try out firefighting equipment.
They also had the chance to chat to staff and learn more about selection tests ahead of an application deadline next week.
Two of the six-hour sessions have been limited strictly to women and ethnic minorities. Another was for women only and a fourth was laid on exclusively for ethnic minorities. Only today's event is open to everyone, allowing white men to attend.
Philip Davies, Tory MP for Shipley in West Yorkshire, said: "This sort of thing just makes people's blood boil and does more damage than good to race relations in this country.
"How would people react if women and black people were banned from an open day?
"I don't care whether the fire service is only made up of ethnic-minority women - as long as they are the best people at fighting fires.
"If the chief fire officer is so concerned, he should give up his job to an ethnic minority woman instead of depriving other white men of a job."
One Avon fireman, speaking anonymously, warned that the targeted recruitment drives were 'not helpful' and would cause resentment.
"It has a very negative effect on everyone," he added.
"When you see people from black and ethnic communities the first thing you think is 'has he or she only got the job because of their minority origin?"
"It's not helpful to them as they may also feel that this is the case. Open, across-the-board recruitment is the only way to stop this."
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