A FORMER Bolton town hall worker has been awarded £90,000 compensation amid allegations of bullying and harassment.

The award was made in an out of court settlement with Bolton Council.

The former employee, who has not been named, made the allegations against the woman supervisor, who has since been sacked.

Union officials at Unison helped to fight the case on behalf of the woman, who left her position at the town hall four years ago.

She claimed the bullying incidents began in 1992, but it was only when she left the council that she started the compensation case.

She was recently awarded the damages, which will be paid by the local authority's insurers.

Unison said it did not want to comment on the details of the case, but said representation was part and parcel of what the union is about and it would support someone all the way to court if necessary.

A Bolton Council spokesman said it was happy that action already taken would prevent further problems happening again.

He added: "These new procedures were brought in some years ago to highlight problems and prevent them recurring."

The council introduced new rules after the woman supervisor was sacked for bullying in February 1997.

A six-day disciplinary hearing heard that she constantly shouted at staff, abused them in front of others, slammed doors to intimidate, showed favouritism and malice and called people names.

One man told how she publicly ridiculed him for weeks because he was afraid when a member of the public made a death threat against him.

She also abused staff about their personal appearance at work and on social occasions.

Workers told how they were frequently reduced to tears and others outside the section said staff had confided in them about victimisation but were too frightened to make a formal complaint.

Some workers admitted joining in the intimidation to curry favour with the woman.

The supervisor denied the accusations and claimed a false case had been made against her because she was being victimised by her immediate boss.

She appealed unsuccessfully and then went to an industrial tribunal, which also ruled against her.

The council said at the time that it hoped the sacking would send a message throughout the town hall that people being harassed will receive backing from the authority.