A man has been given thousands of pounds after claiming he was unfairly dismissed less than two hours after getting a job.

John Tipple was awarded the money in a settlement after he lost the job as a deckhand with Westminster Dredging.

The company declined to comment on the sum - believed to run into thousands on pounds - which was awarded at the end of last year.

Mr Tipple, 45, who lives in the Bathside area of Harwich, said he went to the Harwich office of the company on the morning of September 15.

He said he was assured he could have a job with the company but was asked to leave for an hour and a half while application forms were made available.

When he went back to the office he was told the job had gone to another man.

After consulting his union, the General Municipal Boilermakers, Mr Tipple took the dredging company to an industrial tribunal in November. He said: "I knew information, a ship, start times stuff like that which proved I was employed."

After the first tribunal hearing the Hampshire-based dredging firm agreed to a settlement for an undisclosed sum. The firm did not admit unfair dismissal.

A spokesman for Westminster Dredging declined to comment but said as far as the company was concerned the matter was now closed. The award comes six months after Mr Tipple was awarded £40,000 for unfair dismissal from an Ipswich company.

He said he was pleased with the success of the latest settlement.

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