Sting loses employment discrimination tribuna

Rock musician Sting and his wife, Trudie Styler, have lost an employment tribunal against a chef, who claimed that the couple had fired her when she fell pregnant.

Jane Martin, 41, accused Sting and Styler of subjecting her to abuse and of expecting her to work for 14 hours a day, even when she was heavily pregnant.

The millionaire couple employed Ms Martin for eight years and she alleged that during this time Trudie Styler liked to be treated in a "royal manner".

An employment tribunal ruled unanimously that Ms Martin had been a victim of sexual discrimination and was unlawfully dismissed from the Lake House Estate.

The chef worked at Sting's 800-acre Salisbury Lake House estate in Wiltshire and served a host of celebrity guests over the years, including Sir Bob Geldof, Sir Elton John and Madonna. She left her job in April 2006 under disputed circumstances.

Trudie Styler has hit out at the employment tribunal's verdict, telling the Mail on Sunday that the judgement was a "deeply personal attack" and she plans to appeal.

The tribunal will rule on compensation in June and the payout could be a record sum for a sexual discrimination case.

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Date:17/05/2007 08:49:44