Ex-BBC Leicester journalist Ian Stringer loses tribunal claim

Mr Stringer was hired by BBC Leicester in 2008 after he appeared on the BBC's show The Apprentice

A former BBC sports journalist who claimed he was unfairly dismissed for whistleblowing has lost an employment tribunal.

Ian Stringer was employed by BBC Leicester in 2008 after he appeared on the BBC's show The Apprentice.

A tribunal heard how he believed he was unfairly dismissed in 2022, for what the BBC said was misconduct.

Presiding judge Kimbra Welch has dismissed Mr Stringer's unfair dismissal claims in a written ruling.

Mr Stringer brought both an automatic unfair dismissal claim for whistleblowing and an ordinary unfair dismissal claim against the BBC.

The tribunal in Leicester heard that Mr Stringer, who became the station's Leicester City reporter, was suspended in September 2021 and sacked the following year.

He had been dismissed after bosses raised concerns about his use of social media and his failure to declare the "gift" of a car.

Mr Stringer argued that a BBC investigation was "defective" and that he had been "treated differently" to others - including former England footballer and BBC television presenter Gary Lineker.

The hearing was told Mr Stringer had, during the disciplinary process, compared his actions with those of Lineker, who, he said, had relationships with commercial entities outside the BBC.

Employment Judge Welch had explained in her ruling how Mr Stringer had complained to an area manager about an incident in July 2021.

He claimed his line manager had forced another journalist to break Covid rules "provided" by the BBC and the government.

Mr Stringer said his colleague had been told to "come in and present a show", despite having been in contact with someone with Covid.

Social media concerns

In the same month, an acting news editor had "raised concerns" regarding Mr Stringer's "use of Twitter"- particularly about him "endorsing commercial products and businesses".

The employment tribunal heard Mr Stringer was given impartiality training in 2013 and an anti-bribery course in 2020

The hearing was told how Mr Stringer had been given free use of a BMW 5 series and then an Audi A3 via a Leicester-based vehicle rental firm called Total Motion.

Judge Welch said the tribunal found that, as a result of "receiving them", Mr Stringer had posted tweets promoting the company and the cars.

Mr Stringer had been suspended pending investigations into allegations of a breach of BBC "editorial and impartiality" guidelines.

The BBC had carried out an investigation, the tribunal heard, and found more than 300 "shout outs" to companies or people who had "given their services" to Mr Stringer.

Judge Welch said the investigation had concluded that Mr Stringer should be given a "final written warning" in relation to his "abuse" of the BBC's "social media policy" and "dismissed on notice" as a result of failing to the declare the "gift of the Audi A3".

Mr Stringer had appealed but the "decision to dismiss" had been upheld.

The tribunal heard how he felt he was "treated differently and unfairly" compared to Lineker, and others, as part of his "detriment claim" for "having made protected disclosures" - whistleblowing.

Judge Welch said the tribunal found that Lineker - and others mentioned by Mr Stringer - were "not in comparable circumstances".

She said the tribunal also concluded that the reason for dismissal was "conduct" not whistleblowing.

The judge said the reason for the "decision to dismiss" was because bosses considered Mr Stringer had "committed gross misconduct" by accepting "gifts" of "expensive vehicles" without declaring them in accordance with BBC policies.

"We are satisfied that the reason for the claimant's dismissal was conduct and that the protected disclosures formed no part of the dismissing officer's reasons for dismissal," she added.

"We do not accept the claimant's assertion that the investigation was defective."

She said the tribunal found that "summary dismissal" was "within the range of reasonable responses" open to the BBC.

The judge said "all claims" were dismissed.