A MOTOR racing team manager who helped win Formula BMW championship races for his Hartlebury employer has been awarded more then £10,000 for unfair dismissal after a car caught fire during a Brands Hatch race.

Paul Leach, 50, claimed compensation for unfair dismissal and for the unauthorised deduction of wages at Birmingham Employment Tribunal against Panther Motorsports, of Hartlebury, and its director, Ian Campbell.

The firm went into voluntary liquidation in May this year with liabilities of £576,000, the tribunal was told.

Mr Leach, who had previously been a Rolls Royce motor engineer, joined the Panther team in October, 2003, working with three drivers who had paid a total of £250,000 into the firm.

The team won three major Formula BMW races and a driver's championship award during Mr Leach's first year, it was said.

The tribunal was told that during one race, at Donington Park, a Panther BMW car spun off the track during heavy rain and at Brands Hatch a Panther car caught fire.

A fuel injector had not been checked and Mr Leach was unfairly blamed, it was said.

Elizabeth Hodgetts, barrister representing Mr Leach, said that by the end of 2004, the three drivers had left the company after losing confidence in the firm. The company then started going downhill, she said.

Mr Leach said that after 18 months with the team he arrived at work in March to be told he was being dismissed and then escorted off the premises. He said his contract had been specifically with Ian Campbell.

He had not been paid in February and was given no reason for his dismissal. He said: "I was not even given a chance to appeal against my dismissal. Another employee had been responsible for checking the car at Brands Hatch, not me."

Richard Campbell, who was the Panther firm secretary, said he helped create the company for his son, Ian, and had put many thousands of pounds from his own pocket into the business.

He said Mr Leach had been paid £45,000 a year, plus a Mercedes car, and as senior engineer had been responsible for the car at Brands Hatch and for the health and safety of the driver.

Nearly £20,000 worth of damage was caused by the blaze, he said.

Tribunal chairman, Ron Hutchinson, said the tribunal panel decision was that Mr Leach had been unfairly dismissed and awarded him a total of £10,134, including his unpaid wages.

"The firm failed to carry out the correct procedures in dismissing Mr Leach and we believe he was unfairly blamed for the Brands Hatch fire incident," said Mr Hutchinson.

A claim for costs against the firm and Ian Richardson was rejected by the tribunal.