MANAGING director Barry Burke demoted a female employee just days after she told him she was to be a mum.

His decision cost £6,400 after an employment tribunal ruled that Carol Bradshaw had been sexually discriminated against.

The 27-year-old also won a claim for unfair dismissal against Invite Inn Leisure after the tribunal, held in Reading on Tuesday, heard how he had demoted her just two weeks after she told him she was pregnant.

"He was just trying to get out of paying me maternity leave," Miss Bradshaw told the hearing.

"I was dumbstruck. I had given them everything. I had worked so hard. I felt terribly let down."

Miss Bradshaw, who had worked as a manager for the Oxfordshire-based pub company for over a year, was told to go part-time by Mr Burke, just two months into her pregnancy.

"I could not work under that situation. It was not fair," said Miss Bradshaw, of Underwood Road, High Wycombe.

"I would have worked right up to when I had the baby in June and would have gone back as soon after as I could."

Miss Bradshaw resigned as office manager in January this year after working part-time for just a week at the company, based in Towersey, Oxon.

For the sexual discrimination claim Miss Bradshaw was awarded £2,057.53 for injury to feelings and for unfair dismissal she was awarded £4,342.50 for loss of earnings and maternity pay.

In making the award, tribunal chairman Russell Hardwick said: "There had been a dramatic change to her working situation when she told the managing director of her pregnancy.

"The dismissal was in direct relation to the pregnancy. The managing director did not wish to pay maternity leave.

"It was a fundamental breach of her contract of employment."

Miss Bradshaw said after the tribunal: "It wasn't the money that was important.

"I just wanted him to realise he had done wrong and couldn't get away with it."

Mr Burke did not attend the hearing.