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Monday, 12 November, 2001, 11:04 GMT
Worker turned away by Post Office
Post Office Counter
Mr Doherty worked as a counter clerk at the Post Office
A London postal worker who won the right to return to work after being sacked for alleged football hooliganism has been turned away from the sorting office.

Michael Doherty was dismissed last year by Consignia - the new name for the post office - after a photograph appeared in newspapers apparently showing him involved in clashes between football supporters.

He claimed he had been acting in self-defence after the UEFA Cup final between Arsenal and Galatasaray in Copenhagen in May 2000.

Consignia have refused to take Mr Doherty back even though he won an employment tribunal for unfair dismissal and was supposed to be reinstated by Monday.


I was off duty on bona fide annual leave. It is of no interest to the post office what I do in my own spare time

Michael Doherty
They claim it would be "impractical" to give him his job back.

Michael Doherty told BBC London he will be taking the matter further as the company cannot control his life.

He said: "I was not charged, I was not apprehended, I was not convicted of any crime.

"The basic thing is they are not European justices of the peace.

'Monitor employees'

"I was off duty on bona fide annual leave. It is of no interest to the post office what I do in my own spare time.

"If they think they can monitor all their employees in their own time then maybe they should be paying them 24 hours a day."

Mr Doherty, who worked as a counter clerk at a north London Post Office, says he has a letter from his former employers agreeing that he should resume work on Monday.

A spokesman for Consignia said: "As far as we are concerned we do not accept the tribunal ruling."

His brother Tom has also won a case of unfair dismissal after being sacked by Consignia for the same incident.


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