New York fire chief suspended over 'Bumpernuts'

The mayor of a Long Island village has suspended its fire chief for 30 days - because he refused to remove a crude set of plastic testicles from a fire truck.

The item is a novelty $24.95 pair of "Bumpernuts" - coloured bright blue - that had been affixed to the rear end of the rig.



Acting on public complaints two months ago, Freeport Mayor Andrew Hardwick told volunteer Chief Daniel Fee, 47, to castrate the truck.

But last week, Hardwick took a tour of the firehouse and noticed that while the cojones had been removed from the outside of the vehicle - they were relocated inside the cab, still clearly visible. "The gesture was offensive, insensitive and unprofessional," said Hardwick, who added that Freeport residents "expect better" from their volunteers.