A former accounts worker is continuing her fight to prove her claim that she was humiliated and bullied by a new boss.

Patricia Carpenter quit her job of 17 years at Pembroke College, Oxford, after losing her parking place and being graded on the same level as cleaners when the new head of department was appointed.

But she later lost her claim for constructive dismissal against the college after taking her case to an employment tribunal.

The college denied her allegations, and was supported by the tribunal, which rejected her complaint of humiliating treatment by her boss Maureen Bond, whose version of events they accepted on a "balance of probabilities".

The panel concluded that she was a "long way from substantiating" her boss's conduct, and had "no hesitation" in dismissing her claim. But Mrs Carpenter, 47, of Chestnut Close, Witney, has appealed against the tribunal's decision and been granted a preliminary hearing in May.

She and her husband, Anthony, claim that no other court in England would have allowed the 75-day gap between her giving evidence to the tribunal last September, and Pembroke College defending itself in December.

The tribunal announced its verdict on the same day of the resumed hearing.

Mr Carpenter claims his wife's evidence could not possibly have been as fresh in the minds of the tribunal members after such a long interlude, which he says was "unnacceptable and unfair."

He added: "Nobody likes losing, and my wife and I are no exception. "However, and of course we are biased, there are a number of issues which just do not add up, or in fact, make good common sense."

Story date: Tuesday 21 March

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