A beefeater sacked for allegedly harassing the Tower of London's first and only female yeoman warder has reportedly won £100,000 in compensation following an out-of-court settlement.
Historic Royal Palaces, an independent charity that runs the Tower, Hampton Court and several other historic sites, dismissed 44-year-old Mark Sanders-Crook last November after investigating claims he bullied Moira Cameron.
Following his dismissal, Sanders-Crook sought legal advice and decided to launch employment tribunal proceedings.
A hearing scheduled for the end of August was abandoned after Historic Royal Palaces decided to review the dismissal and concluded it was indeed unfair.
"We have therefore apologised to Mr Sanders-Crook and reached agreement on an appropriate settlement," the charity said in a statement.
"The parties are pleased that it has been possible to resolve their dispute and that employment tribunal proceedings have therefore been closed."
Speaking to the London Evening Standard, Mr Sanders-Crook said: "I had always expected to see out the rest of my working life at the Tower of London.
"I've always strongly denied these allegations and I'm still in touch with the other warders who have been very supportive."
Claims that Cameron's uniform had been 'defaced' and that 'hostile notes' had been left in her locker ultimately turned out to be false, but Cameron is still working at the Tower.
A spokeswoman for Historic Royal Palaces declined to comment on the validity of the harassment allegations. "Lessons will be learned from this case that will ensure we deliver this commitment more effectively in the future," she said.
Links:
- Sacked beefeater paid compensation by Tower of London (Guardian)
- Employment law (Findlaw.co.uk)
- Employment law news (The Solicitor)
- Employment law Q&A (Community)
- Find an employment solicitor (Contact Law)
