A WOMAN has taken her employers to a tribunal over alleged sexual harassment and disability discrimination which, she claims, drove her to depression.

Thalidomide victim Sue Foss, 46, was a sales manager with Sidcup-based Dore, a company that helps children and adults with learning difficulties.

But the mother-of-two claimed her own disabilities, which include deformed hands and problems with her legs, became the subject of ridicule among colleagues.

A three-day hearing took place in Ashford, with Dore stringently denying the claims.

Much of the case centred around a bowling trip and a Christmas party, said to have led to Mrs Foss feeling “humiliated” and “degraded”.

The tribunal heard that Mrs Foss had not wanted to go on the team-building 10-pin bowling trip last September because of her disability, and that she was awarded a “Mega Flop” certificate as the worst player.

It was told that Mrs Foss was also subjected to jibes over the size of her breasts and her sex life, and that colleagues bullied her at a black-tie Christmas do, asking if she was a “retired hooker” and attempting to throw bread down her cleavage.

Mrs Foss was signed off sick shortly after Christmas.

Bruce Speller, representing Mrs Foss, said: “This company was riddled with a sexually explicit culture.”

He said a number of senior staff

members at Dore had not come to give evidence at the tribunal and “you have to ask yourself why”.

Mr Speller said his client “puts on a front” but is “deep down shy”.

“This company should be hanging its head in shame,” he added.

Frank Irons, representing the respondents, said it had been a “long and contentious” case with many “inconsistencies” in the evidence.

Mr Irons said Mrs Foss had a high-profile career, which included appearing on The Apprentice and work in journalism.

“All the evidence suggests she is not a shrinking violet,” he said.

“It all suggests that if something offensive was said she would have complained. She didn’t.”

He said there was no evidence to suggest she was humiliated during the bowling game, and that the term “mega flop” was only raised during the tribunal.

He suggested that Mrs Foss, from Westfield in East Sussex, could have left the Christmas meal early if she had found her treatment offensive.

A decision is set to be made by the bench and sent in writing to both parties in the coming weeks.