A FALKLANDS veteran has won substantial damages after a tribunal ruled he was sacked because of his disability.

Tom McNally, who also served in Kosovo and Northern Ireland, was helped by Newcastle-based Muckle take action against his former employers.

Mr McNally was awarded a five-figure sum after judges found SRS Cleaning Equipment, in Middleton Tyas, North Yorkshire, had subjected him to disability discrimination and unfairly dismissed him.

Ten months after starting work for the firm, he was diagnosed with motor neurone disease, a condition that attacks nerves in the brain and spinal cord.

Mr McNally worked as an engineer at SRS, servicing the company's floor cleaning machines.

The 60-year-old from Brough with St Giles, near Catterick Garrison, North Yorkshire, previously spent 22 years as an instrument technician in the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, repairing armoured vehicles, before retiring in 2002.

He said he told SRS about his diagnosis, but wanted to continue working because he enjoyed his job.

He said: “I had noticed I had a weakness in my left arm and because both my dad and uncle had motor neurone disease, I had an idea of what it was before it was officially diagnosed.

“But I’m the sort of person who just gets on with things, I was an active person with a job I enjoyed and wanted to continue doing it.”

However, the father-of-two said his life changed when he returned to work after a Caribbean holiday with wife Linda to celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary.

Mr McNally said he arrived for work as normal, but was dismissed by SRS after a meeting.

He said: “I told them I felt well and was raring to go after my holiday. “It felt like because of my illness I’d been thrown on the scrap heap and left to die.

“It was double blow; first the illness and then being sacked. “I hadn’t had a day off sick, so it was a real shock to me when she said they were sacking me.”

Mr McNally contacted Muckle's employment team and an employment tribunal in Newcastle found he had had been unfairly dismissed and subjected to disability discrimination.

He said: “I wanted to stand up for my rights and want all employers to know that people who are disabled should be treated with the same dignity and respect as anyone else.

“The case was very stressful and there have been times I’ve felt like giving up Linda kept me going.”

Paul Johnstone, a partner in Muckle's employment team, added: “Tom was treated in the most appalling and insensitive way by his employer.

“There are important lessons to be learned here; employers must not dismiss an employee because of a disability.

“They should make reasonable adjustments to help disabled employees continue to work.”

A SRS spokesman said: “The company is reviewing the employment tribunal decision in this case and considering its implications.

“It therefore cannot comment at this stage.”