THAMES Valley Police has reached an out-of-court settlement with a former “whistleblower” employee after she sued the force for discrimination.

Representatives of the force appeared before Judge Andrew Gumbiti-Zimuto at an employment tribunal after the claimant accused her former employers of disability and sexual discrimination.

The woman, known only as Mrs R Eaglestone, also accused Thames Valley Police of discriminating against her regarding maternity issues and for allegedly exercising her rights under the Public Interest Disclosure Act.

The tribunal was scheduled to go ahead at 10am yesterday morning, but the legal team representing Chief Constable Francis Habgood offered a financial settlement to Mrs Eaglestone, from Wallingford, which was accepted following three hours deliberation.

The settlement avoided details of her claim against the chief constable being aired in public and both parties signed a confidentiality agreement precluding them talking to journalists about the size and terms of the settlement before leaving the tribunal offices, in Reading Law firm Pattinson and Brewer, representing the force, declined to comment about the incident and the value of the agreed settlement.

Mrs Eaglestone was unavailable for comment.