Firefighter feared for her safety

A firefighter became frightened for her safety because of sexual discrimination by work colleagues, an employment tribunal has been told.

Former army officer Sandra Tilke claims treatment by her male colleagues at Devon Fire and Rescue Service caused her stress, anxiety and depression.

As a member of the Fire Officers' Association (FOA), she was not on strike in 2002/3 when FBU members were.

Ms Tilke is claiming compensation from Devon Fire and Rescue Service.

The Exeter hearing was told she frequently found pornography inside the ladies toilets.

Mrs Tilke claims she suffered discrimination between October 2002 - when members of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) went on strike - until April 2003.

A member of the Fire Officers' Association (FOA) and a non-striker, she said the harassment caused her to be off work with stress and depression.

She was off work for three months to May 2004 with work-related stress and anxiety and finally went sick in December of that year and did not return to work.

Mrs Tilke told the tribunal that the harassment started in June or July 2002, a couple of months after she joined the Exeter station.

She was the only female FOA member of the 10 working at the station, which had 54 FBU members.

The hearing continues.

A mock CCTV camera was pointed at the ladies' toilet in a Devon fire station, a female firefighter has told an industrial tribunal.

Sandra Tilke, 41, is claiming sexual discrimination against Devon Fire and Rescue Service, which has denied the allegation.

She said treatment by male colleagues caused her stress and depression.

Mrs Tilke said the "camera", made out of cardboard, was put in the toilet at the Barnstaple station.

Mrs Tilke, from Rewe, near Exeter, said it was put there a week after she signed off sick on 2 December 2003.

Mrs Tilke maintained it was put there for her to find when she came back on duty at the station, where she had been transferred from Exeter.

She has not returned to work since but remains a paid employee.

Camera 'realistic'

Counsel for the fire service, Nick Sproull, suggested to Mrs Tilke that the camera was a "Blue Peter" effort that was put up as a joke.

Mrs Tilke said the camera was "realistic" and had previously been in the station kitchen directed at a fridge from which food had gone missing.

Mr Sproull suggested the camera was put outside the ladies' lavatory to remind male firefighters not to use it, following complaints from Mrs Tilke.

But Mrs Tilke maintained it was put there for her to find when she came back on duty.

"I do not know why it was put there apart from to get at me. I did not think it was a joke," she said.

The tribunal continues.