A FORMER senior fire service official who lost out on a top job made secret recordings of conversations with Scotland's first Chief Fire Officer, it has emerged.

David Dalziel, who was head of Grampian Fire and Rescue Service, is suing Scottish Fire and Rescue Service over claims of age discrimination.

Mr Dalziel, 62, claims he missed out on leading the new national fire and rescue service when it came into being on April 1 - despite being recommended for the job.

And the veteran firefighter claims that the successful candidate, Alistair Hay, told him after his election that he wanted Mr Dalziel as his deputy.

But he missed out on that job too, leading him to "lose faith" in what Mr Hay was saying and went on to tape two further conversations with the senior officer.

The secret recordings emerged when Mr Dalziel launched a legal bid against his former employers at an employment tribunal yesterday in Aberdeen.

Mr Dalziel was asked by the panel why he had taken to recording their meetings.

He said: "It was a loss of trust and faith in what he was saying - I wanted to record that for my own protection.

"He asked me to be his deputy and then gave me some assurances along the way.

"The contrary was the case on every single occasion."

The tribunal heard that Mr Dalziel had been promoted to chief of Grampian Fire and Rescue Service in January 2005.

With the eight regional forces due to be merged into one national force in April this year, he ended up on the shortlist become Scotland's first Chief Fire Officer.

He was recommended to Minister for Community Safety Roseanna Cunningham.

However, he was pipped to the post by former Tayside chief Mr Hay, 50, whose appointment was announced on August 16 last year.

Five days later, the pair met in Mr Dalziel's office in Aberdeen where Mr Hay said he was backing him for the post of deputy first officer.

Mr Dalziel told the tribunal: "He said he would love me to be his deputy."

The same candidates could also apply for five assistant chief officers' roles at the same interview, he was told.

The tribunal heard that in an interview, when asked if he would be interested in one of the five assistant chief officers' jobs, he said he would have to consider it. He admitted yesterday that he had not made it clear that this was because he would want to discuss relocating with his family before committing.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service cited Mr Dalziel's lack of enthusiasm and passion for the post of assistant chief officer as one of the reasons that he was not selected for any of the posts.

Mr Dalziel found this out when Mr Hay phoned him at home on November 2.

All the officers selected for the five other senior posts were all younger than him and lacking in his experience.

This started what he described to the tribunal as a "downward spiral" during which time he made the two secret recordings.

A transcript of the second meeting included Mr Hay denying asking Mr Dalziel to be his deputy.

Mr Dalziel said: "That was the last straw."

The former Grampian fire chief added that he had been further insulted when Mr Hay ordered him to clear his office for the changeover to the single force in April.

Mr Dalziel said he suffered humiliation in the months leading up to the launch of the new, single force by being included in a group email for lower ranked officers and being told he would need to change his uniform or wear a suit.

The hearing continues today.