A former Medway housing manager was correctly sacked because of gross incompetence and professional misconduct, an employment tribunal has decided.

In his ruling, tribunal chairman Judge R D Salter was highly critical of Ray O’Shea, saying he was responsible for putting the lives at risk of people in some of Medway’s worst housing.

Former homelessness boss Mr O’Shea, who lives in Rainham, had taken Medway Council to the tribunal, claiming wrongful and unfair dismissal from his job, and seeking damages.

Another housing department boss had told the tribunal he thought Mr O'Shea was the victim of a witch-hunt.

The five-day hearing in December had been told of deteriorating relationships between housing bosses, as the situation in the housing department became increasingly chaotic.

Full story in Friday's print edition of the Medway Messenger