A Kent company has been told to award a mother nearly £60,000 after the woman's boss said she would "never be the same again" because she was pregnant.

An employment tribunal panel agreed that Louise Manning's former Dartford employer Safetell Ltd - a leading supplier of security systems to banks and other blue chip firms - and manager Nick Medlam, 60, of Tonbridge, should pay a whopping £57,000 to cover loss of earnings and injury to feeling.

The judgement followed Mrs Manning's successful claim for sex discrimination on the grounds of pregnancy and maternity leave, which was heard in Ashford back in January. A second claim for unfair constructive dismissal was rejected.

The panel ruled that there had been "a continuing campaign against Mrs Manning once she announced her first pregnancy in order to persuade her not to return to work for Safetell".

It also noted Mrs Manning, from Chelmsford in Essex, never received an apology from the company and an apology made by her former manager Mr Medlam during the course of her second claim was "mealy-mouthed".

Mrs Manning joined Safetell in August 2004 as its marketing and national accounts manager.

In April 2005 she discovered she was pregnant. She extended her maternity leave until October 2006, but at the end of September discovered she was pregnant again. She resigned from her £55,000-a-year post in October last year.

A spokesman for the company said: "The company and Mr Medlam accept the final judgment."