A TOP employment judge has found that Aberystwyth Town Council’s handling of an employee’s grievances was “incompetent”, “improper­” and a “c**k-up”.

Judge Wayne Beard made his comments in a scathing review of the “appalling behaviour” of the council towards former mayor’s secretary Carole Prime.

Ms Prime took the council to an employment tribunal claiming wrongful and unfair dismissal, all­eging bullying and harassment from members of the council who make up the staffing committee.

The judge dismissed the claims and found in favour of the authority at the tribunal held in November.

But he said in his written judgment after the case that the council’s acti­ons had “clearly undermined trust and confidence” in the authority.

Ms Prime has said she will appeal against the decision.

Judge Beard said that it “is clear from the evidence that the duties and powers of the staffing committee were unclear to both those on the committee and councillors generally”.

“The evidence led to an image forming in my mind of the respondent (the town council) resembling the hydra in the sense that it is a corporate body with many heads, but no particular direction."

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