Northern Ireland

Belfast-born executive branded 'gyppo' awarded almost £300,000 by tribunal

Edward Bell lives in Didsbury, Manchester. Image: Google Maps 
Edward Bell lives in Didsbury, Manchester. Image: Google Maps  Edward Bell lives in Didsbury, Manchester. Image: Google Maps 

A BELFAST-born executive from a Traveller background who was called "gyppo" and "paddy" by his line manager has been awarded almost £300,000 by an employment tribunal in England.

Father-of-one Edward Bell (52), who lives in Didsbury in Manchester, took a case against his former employers Cordant, one of Britain's largest recruitment firms, after he was wrongfully fired.

The tribunal heard that his line manager Sid Barnes harassed him from the first time they met, referring to his “pretty thick Irish accent”, telling him he dressed like a “gyppo” and making jokes about his “horse and cart”.

Mr Bell, who earned £90,000 a year working at the company’s Manchester base, said the abuse escalated after he raised concerns about the £21 million takeover of a rival company by his employers.

In a six-page letter of grievance to the company, Mr Bell wrote: "I believe SB (Sid Barnes) saw me as a potential whistleblower, sought to get me out of Cordant".

Mr Bell had been headhunted to the firm in June 2014 but was told in September 2015 he was being sacked with six months' notice.

An employment tribunal upheld Mr Bell's claims of harassment related to race and unfair dismissal because of making protected disclosures.

The judgment said: "We found that, at various times, Mr Barnes referred to him as a 'pikey' or a 'paddy' and said that the claimant was 'scruffy', 'dressed like a gypsy' or a 'gyppo' or looked like a tinker."

"We conclude that all these comments clearly related to the claimant’s Irish origin and/or his Traveller background and that the comments, therefore, clearly related to race."

Mr Bell was awarded £283,472.03 which included loss of earnings, bonuses, pension, life assurance, long-term illness insurance and injury to feelings.