A FORMER finance officer who claims she was sacked by a Christian charity for not believing in God, was subjected to a number of indignities, a tribunal was told .

And Karen Deighton said she was victimised when she tried to blow the whistle over a number of concerns she had about Colne Open Door Centre.

An industrial tribunal in Manchester has heard Mrs Deighton claim that the bullying, by husband and wife centre managers Brian and Stella Holmes, intensified after she supported cleaner Trudy Evans in a pay dispute.

Mrs Deighton said she was given the cold shoulder by the couple and when she walked into a room Mrs Holmes would leave.

The only communication she usually had with her managers was via notes, she said. She also complained of being served a meal of cold liver in the centre's cafe.

Colne Open Door Centre was founded by Colne Churches Together Group around nine years ago and offers support to the homeless, drug addicts and other socially disadvantaged groups.

Mrs Deighton, who is pursuing religious discrimination and bullying claims against the centre, said she was asked to type up risk assessments but was criticised when she queried why they were 18 months out of date.

"They had been drawn up by a volunteer or someone on work experience - not someone with any authority. I was told - type them'," said Mrs Deighton, of Ellesmere Avenue, Colne.

She added: "I think the trustees should have been told that the risk assesments were 18 months out of date. I was working in that building and the risk assessments were out of date."

The tribunal has been told how Mrs Deighton questioned the appointment of Mrs Holmes as community development manager by her husband without the post being advertised externally.

But Ian Lovejoy, representing Colne Open Door Centre, said that none of the issues that she raised during her employment as a finance officer and administrator were actually her responsibility.

"You raised a lot of complaints at the centre about various matters that were not directly within you remit. It was within your remit to appoint the centre manager?" said Mr Lovejoy.

Mrs Deighton said: "I thought it was a breach of equal opportunities which could cause the centre to lose money.

"And as a taxpayer I think it was my duty to watch where taxpayers' money was spent, as well as considering the rules of the charity."

Mrs Deighton claims she raised a number of concerns when the centre was home to East Lancashire drugs service - during one particular incident she said she was confronted by an addict wanting a methadone prescription.

But the drugs service had closed for the day and he had instead been allowed to wander into the centre's offices, the tribunal heard.

Mrs Deighton says she raised the issue with management but no action was taken to improve working conditions.

Proceeding