Charity wrongfully dismissed naturalist - tribunal

Raptor specialist Nigel Middleton took the charity to an employment tribunal with the support of his fiancée Twiggy Bigwood

An employment tribunal has ruled that a charity wrongfully dismissed its former conservation officer.

Nigel Middleton worked for the Hawk and Owl Trust (HOT) for more than two decades and helped develop the Sculthorpe Moor Nature Reserve which opened in 2003.

Mr Middleton, who has appeared on BBC Radio as a nature expert, said when he realised his job was at risk, "I was gutted, I was devastated because this wasn't just a job for me".

HOT said it recognised that the tribunal found "its processes were unfair" and that the charity would seek to learn lessons from this experience.

In November 2022 Mr Middleton raised issues with the charity's trustees about the way in which the organisation was being run by chief operations director, Adrian Blumfield.

The concerns covered staff and volunteer treatment and payments being made to employees leaving the charity.

Following this, the tribunal heard, Mr Blumfield and the charity trustees decided Mr Middleton "had to go".

The judge said what followed was a "woeful tale of unfairness in process".

Mr Middleton raised concerns about the treatment of staff and volunteers at the trusts reserve at Sculthorpe Moor near Fakenham

After raising the concerns Mr Middleton was told his performance was being investigated.

In February 2023 he was informed the scope and hours of his job were being changed and he was subsequently suspended, pending a disciplinary hearing.

In May that year he received an email telling him the disciplinary process was being withdrawn and 20 minutes later he received a second email telling him he was dismissed with immediate effect.

While Mr Middleton's unfair dismissal claim was upheld by the judge, his claim that he was acting as a whistleblower by raising his concerns with the trustees was not.

Mr Middleton said: "Sculthorpe was something quite special. A place that had a real opening for people and nature. I'm hoping that legacy will still carry on."

He said he now plans to work with farmers and landowners to help create new raptor habitats.

Dr Andrew McCulloch, the chair of HOT, said: "The Hawk and Owl Trust is disappointed by the findings of the tribunal, particularly given that its actions were guided by independent professional HR advice.

"While the tribunal rightly dismissed the whistleblowing allegations as being entirely unfounded and without merit, it upheld the unfair dismissal claim due to procedural shortcomings."

The BBC reached out to Mr Blumfield for comment.

Following that request a spokesperson for the trust said: "The charity will be reflecting on the judge's comments, seeking to learn lessons from this experience, while ensuring that our focus remains on our critical conservation work and delivery of our charitable objectives."