Miss Robertson claims to have been bullied by other members of staff

Christine Robertson said she was the target of bullying by other staff at Noranside Open Prison, near Forfar.

She claims she suffered harassment and intimidation at the prison.

Miss Robertson, 40, is suing Scottish ministers at the Court of Session in Edinburgh for alleged psychiatric injury while working at Noranside.

She said she was the subject of bullying involving sexual innuendo from early 2000 and was picked out because she was a woman.

Official suspended

Miss Robertson claims that an official with the prison officers union told her that her life would be made hell if she ever crossed a picket line.

She said in April the following year the union went on strike but she attended for work.

Miss Robertson said that between May and July that year she was working at the Lockerbie bombing trial in the Netherlands.

A union official made allegations against her to prison management including claims that she had called a fellow officer "a black bastard", left a door unsecured and was bringing drugs into the prison.

After an investigation the official was suspended but the case against him was later dismissed.

Miss Robertson claims she was made to feel responsible for his suspension following his false allegations against her.

She was signed off sick with stress and maintains that she suffered depression and psychiatric injury.

Damaged career

She said she was diagnosed as suffering post traumatic stress by a psychologist.

Miss Robertson said that although she has made some recovery, there have been long term adverse effects to her personality, self-confidence and ability to trust work colleagues.

The prison officer said she has lost earnings and suffered damage to career opportunities because of extended absence.

Miss Robertson was transferred to Castle Huntly prison

In her action, Miss Robertson maintains that the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) had a duty to take reasonable care to ensure that she did not suffer from bullying or sexual harassment at work to an extent as to cause her injury.

The Scottish ministers deny liability and are contesting the case.

At a procedural hearing before Lord Emslie they were seeking to have the case dismissed.

The Scottish ministers said that allegations of gross misconduct against the fellow officer and union official were investigated.

They maintain the case was dismissed after a disciplinary interview which decided that there was insufficient evidence to safely conclude that any of the allegations against him were founded.

The Scottish ministers said that after it became clear Miss Robertson did not want to return to Noranside the SPS arranged a "compassionate transfer" for her to Castle Huntly prison, in Perthshire.

The judge is expected to give a ruling in the case at a later date.