A FORMER radio station director who claimed her boss told her he wanted to employ women with “blonde hair and big boobs – like her” has lost her claim for unfair dismissal.

Judge John Hunter ruled that Dawn Carney had also not suffered sexual discrimination or sexual harassment while working at Darlington-based Star Radio.

The station’s parent group, UKRD Group, said last night that it was pleased that the tribunal had rejected the claim and it was determined to get on “with driving the radio station forward”.

However, the judge said he had “sympathy” for the claimant, adding that on-air behaviour had at times, under previous management, been “disgusting” and a “disgrace”.

Miss Carney, 37, of Ingleby Barwick, near Stockton, Star’s former commercial director, claimed she was unfairly dismissed from her job at the station after challenging the present managing director John Clayton about his “inappropriate behaviour” towards her.

Miss Carney claimed Mr Clayton made a number of sexist remarks to her, including telling her he wanted to employ women with “blonde hair and big boobs” like hers - comments that the judge ruled did happen but were not necessarily harassment.

It was also alleged that Mr Clayton inappropriately touched Miss Carney’s leg during a staff night out - an incident the judge said that claimant had failed to prove.

In an earlier incident, which the claimant said highlighted the culture of sexism at the station, the tribunal in Newcastle heard that an advert was broadcast on air which said that everyone at the station had been given presents by the former managing director Mark Reason - and that Miss Carney had received a pearl necklace.

However, a reserved judgement issued on Thursday by Judge Hunter dismissed all the claims brought against Mr Clayton and Star parent company UKRD Group.

In his concluding remarks, Judge Hunter said the panel had not been able to find for the claimant, but he added: “This radio station under the stewardship of the previous managing director (Mark Reason) had a reputation for disgusting behaviour on air and the claimant was a victim of this when she first arrived.

“It is no wonder that the respondent suffered damage to its reputation and we can see that the claimant had a hard task on her hands to generate advertising revenue.

“The comment made on air about the pearl necklace was a disgrace.”

The judge added that the decision to sack Miss Carney because she had not halted a decline in advertising revenue had come out of the blue and was “executed brutally” by the current managing director, Mr Clayton.

In response to the judgement, UKRD Group said in a statement: “We are pleased that the tribunal has unanimously rejected the case brought against us and that they have confirmed that ‘none of the claims is well founded’.

“We are now determined to get on with driving the radio station forward and continuing to serve the local community we are proud to broadcast to.”

Miss Carney, who told the tribunal her hair had fallen out because of the stress caused by her treatment, said that while she was disappointed by the result, she did not regret taking legal action.

“This has highlighted that this is not a top company to work for and maybe they will now stop treating their employees like this.

“I hope this doesn’t deter anyone from coming forward when they’re being treated badly, whether they’re a woman, a man or whoever.”