News

A former care worker has been awarded £20,000 by an employment tribunal after claiming his life was destroyed by allegations that he made obscene suggestions to a girl in foster care.

Paul Gillon, from Seaton Delaval in Northumberland, was sacked, put on a sex offenders' register and banned from working with children after talking on the telephone with the girl.

He told a Newcastle tribunal he suffered a nervous breakdown and was on the brink of committing suicide following the incident.

Gillon was employed by St James Fostering and Adoption Service, in Newcastle. His job involved liaising with foster parents but, four years ago, he ran into problems after telephoning one of his foster families.

Following a short conversation with Gillon, the foster child, who had hearing problems, told her foster mother that she thought he had made an obscene comment.

As well as being dismissed, he was put on the Department of Health's register banning him from working with children. His name has since been removed.

Gillon won his claim for unfair dismissal at an employment tribunal last year but it has taken six months for the award to be decided.

In a report, the tribunal chairperson described Gillon's suspension as a "knee-jerk" reaction.