£100,000+ award for woman prison officer compelled to conduct male searches

A female prison officer has won a £100,000-plus payout for being forced to carry out searches on male inmates.

Carol Saunders won a sex bias claim against the Home Office, saying she was discriminated against as male officers did not search female prisoners. Mrs Saunders, of Tewkesbury, Gloucs, said the searches at Long Lartin Prison in Worcestershire made her feel sick. She won her case in October 2004 and the Home Office has now settled out of court after losing an appeal.

Mrs Saunders, who was 41 when she won her case, had argued that there was bias as only female officers could search female prisoners but both sexes could search male prisoners. The tribunal had heard she found comments from prisoners as she searched them embarassing and uncomfortable. The exact figure has not been disclosed but it runs into six figures.

A Home Office spokesman said: "Following the tribunal judgement that found in favour of Carol Saunders, the Prison Service has agreed an amount to be awarded out of court based on the guidance from the tribunal regarding an appropriate level of compensation."

A separate claim by Mrs Saunders for victimisation at the high-security jail near Evesham was thrown out by the tribunal in 2004. Mrs Saunders was transferred to Brockhill women's jail in Redditch, Worcestershire

Whatever the circumstances, practical accident support, compensation claim assistance and legal advice is available free of charge from our expert First Response team on freephone 0800 037 1066.

Free legal advice direct to your inbox: Ask Law Answers your compensation claim legal question.