A SACKED Oxford tutor who tried to sue his former employers had his case for unfair dismissal thrown out yesterday.

Oxford Tutorial College was within the law when it dismissed chemistry tutor Andrew Hilton for refusing to sign a new contract, a tribunal judge ruled.

Mr Hilton was sacked from the college – which charges A-level and GCSE students several thousands of pounds in fees – at the end of 2013 after more than 20 years.

The 56-year-old alleged the college’s directors tried to “bully” him into signing a new contract which he said would have resulted in a salary cut.

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But at the tribunal in Reading, college director Charles Runacres said it was company policy at the time to make all self-employed tutors like Mr Hilton employees with fixed contracts, which was what was presented to Mr Hilton at a meeting on September 3.

Director David Wilkins said he had been “surprised” at the bullying allegations, saying: “I do not remember the meeting being threatening at all.”

Judge Jessica Hill took two days to rule in favour of Mr Hilton’s employers. She turned down the tutor’s case for unfair dismissal and public interest disclosure.

There was drama at the tribunal on Wednesday when one of Mr Hilton’s friends and colleagues became so fraught with emotion as he listened to evidence against his sacked colleague that he collapsed on the floor.

David Hillman, the head of science, staggered across the room and crashed to the floor, clutching his chest and complaining of heart palpitations. An ambulance was called but he recovered.


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