£79,878 for ‘unfairly sacked’ New Forest town clerk (From Bournemouth Echo)

£79,878 for ‘unfairly sacked’ New Forest town clerk

7:20pm Wednesday 1st July 2009

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A SACKED town clerk has been awarded nearly £80,000 of taxpayers’ money after a tribunal found his employers had unfairly dismissed him.

Andrew Rimmer was fired by Lymington and Pennington Town Council last October after several periods of sick leave following a heart attack.

But a tribunal ruled that the dismissal was unfair and ordered the authority to stump up for his past and future lost earnings.

The 51-year-old also made a late bid to be reinstated as the £37,800-a-year town clerk as the tribunal neared its conclusion at Dukes Keep in Southampton yesterday.

But a panel ruled out the scenario, agreeing that in the interests of continuity at the authority, the current “locum” town clerk should remain in his role.

Employment judge Rohan Pirani added: “There may be broad issues with trust [if Mr Rimmer were to be reinstated], though no specific criticism was made of the claimant in this manner.

“It is a very small council and the position of town clerk is a very important and sensitive role. The council is happy with the present incumbent.”

Earlier, the tribunal was told how Mr Rimmer had been suffering from depression and anxiety that was so severe he could not even face opening letters from his bosses to discuss his absenteeism.

The tribunal had heard that his medication had left Mr Rimmer with a stammer and he could not face speaking on the phone.

His partner Jill Ellaway, the tribunal heard, was acting as a go-between with the council.

He claimed that no-one attempted to contact him during his periods of illness and eventually he was dismissed following the formation of a sub-committee at the council.

Council chiefs claimed that services had started to suffer in his absence, including employees being overpaid and the council’s annual budget not being prepared.

In total the council was told it would have to pay £79,878, which included £14,978 in pay he had lost out on since being dismissed and £55,636 to compensate for future loss of earnings.

Afterwards Mr Rimmer, of Fennel Gardens, Lymington, told the Daily Echo: “I feel vindicated. I don’t feel pleased because it is an unfortunate outcome. But I feel vindicated in many ways.”

A council spokesman said a decision on whether to appeal against the ruling would be made after the next full town council meeting.

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