Ropey reputation trips up skip felons
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;CRAP METAL and waste dealer Denis Raine had acted reasonably n dismissing skip wagon driver Kenneth Massey after he had adnitted taking material out of skips and selling it, a Leeds industrial ribunal has decided.
The tribunal said that both Mr laine's drivers were arrested by he police and when interviewed )y Mr Raine they admitted ;elling material out of skips to a .hop.
The works manager of Carington Performance Fabrics Ltd, ine of Mr Raine's customers, onfirmed the illegalities and aid that his company would no longer accept either driver on its premises.
Mr Raine felt the matter serious enough to justify the dismissal of both drivers, and they were both subsequently convicted of theft before the Wakefield Crown Court.
The tribunal believed, however, that both men appeared to have been on the periphery of the events and were perhaps unlucky to be prosecuted at all. They were given a conditional discharge.
It appeared that three of Carrington's own employees were involved in the theft of material not intended for scrap and were selling it to the same shop. The police prosecuted them and the drivers were also implicated.
In evidence, Mr Raine said his reputation might suffer if he continued to employ the two driv ers, and the tribunal held that he was justified in believing this.
Although the tribunal thought Mr Massey had had a rough deal, it did not feel he would have dismissed the drivers unless he thought it was absolutely necessary because the loss of both put him in an awkward position.