Firm is told to pay ex-director £14,000

The conflict developed between Patrick Wilson who runs K and W Services Ltd of Waterloo Park Industrial Estate, Bidford, and Carol McCormick of Stratford, a Birmingham Employment Tribunal was told.

Mr Wilson is managing director of the firm which supplies and services generators - Tesco being among the firm's customers.

Ms McCormick who was claiming compensation for unfair dismissal, told the tribunal that she was employed from January 2002 to April 2005 - as a director and later in administration.

The tribunal was told that Ms McCormick had resigned as a director because of alleged disputes with the firm's engineers.

Mr Wilson accused Ms McCormick of undermining his authority and admitted they did not get on well together.

Mr Wilson who is 69, said: "She came in one day and asked me if I liked her and I replied no."

He said that following another dispute Ms McCormick left the firm.

Mr Ian West, representing the firm, told the tribunal: "The atmosphere became disruptive and the conflict between them reached boiling point."

Ms McCormick denied she left her job and said she was dismissed and later paid £6,500 redundancy money.

But she said there had not been a redundancy situation because she had so much work and that the firm had advertised for two people for her job after she had been dismissed.

Tribunal chairman Miss Helen Harding said it was clear there was no common ground between the two parties but the tribunal believed there had not been a redundancy situation.

"The tribunal decision is that Ms McCormick was unfairly dismissed," said Miss Harding.

Ms McCormick said she enjoyed her job and wanted to be reinstated. But she later changed her mind and was awarded £14,069 compensation.

K and W Services Ltd moved from Birmingham Road, Stratford about two years ago to Bidford.

Mr Wilson declined to comment when the Journal contacted him this week.