An Oswestry horse riding school faces paying an award to a former employee after she complained she was unfairly sacked because she was pregnant.

Alice Parsons who worked with stable hands at the Oswestry Equestrian Centre at Carreg-y-Big Farm in Selattyn, alleged she was told she would not be required “to go forward” two weeks after she announced in January, last year, that she was expecting a baby in mid-September.

Telford Employment Tribunal judge Christopher Gaskell said: "We find that she was dismissed.”

Miss Parsons who joined the firm in February 2016, made legal claims for breach of contract, maternity and pregnancy rights and unfair dismissal against the firm.

The hearing took place earlier this year and Mr Gaskell has now announced in Miss Parsons’ favour.

He said she was also discriminated against because of her pregnancy.

The respondents opposed the legal claims and told the tribunal Miss Parson chose to resign. They also alleged her “unreliability” caused discord between her and her co-workers which Miss Parsons denied.

Mr Gaskell admitted, however, at one stage of the hearing that it appeared Miss Parsons had neither been dismissed or that she had resigned and that her employment seemed to be continuing.

But the tribunal finally agreed that Miss Parsons had been dismissed.

Miss Parsons told the tribunal that she was told there was no longer enough work for her after announcing her pregnancy. She disputed there was not enough work for her.

Mr Gaskell described Miss Parsons’ evidence as “clear, compelling and consistent” and said a remedy hearing would take place at a later date. No indication was given over how much Miss Parsons would be awarded.