Jubilant Sarah Goudie has been celebrating after winning her claim for unfair dismissal for sending pornographic e-mails from her work computer.

Sarah, 23, of Crowborough Road, Southend, said she was made a scapegoat following an investigation into staff e-mails at the Royal Bank of Scotland.

The tribunal, at Stratford, east London, ruled the bank had acted unfairly in its disciplinary process but bosses have vowed to appeal against the decision.

Today, Sarah said she would refuse any attempt to reinstate her and insisted her e-mails were funny rather than pornographic.

She had worked at the Southend credit card centre in Priory Crescent, where, from an initial 94 cases of allegedly inappropriate e-mails, 30 employees were fully investigated, seven were dismissed and 14 suspended last year.

The bank claimed Miss Goudie had sent offensive images internally and externally but she said she only sent them externally to her partner, dad and stepmother.

Miss Goudie, who had worked for the bank since 1998, is now in Australia visiting relatives.

From her aunt's home in Kalgoorlie, western Australia, she said: "I would never send anything to anyone that I would consider to be offensive.

"I went to court because I felt strongly about being sacked when other people who also sent e-mails had not been sacked. I'm really pleased.

"I understand there will be another hearing to decide compensation issues."

Sarah was represented by Southend Citizen's Advice Bureau.

Published Tuesday, August 5, 2003

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