A West Midlands Police officer who claimed she suffered four years of sexist taunts and discrimination is to receive £10,000 compensation from the force in an out of court settlement.
Pc Vicki Sherry, aged 38 and a police officer for 16 years, claimed she was bullied, teased and refused promotion while working as a dog handler at Little Park Street station, Coventry, between September 1998 and September 2002.
Among her complaints were that her male colleagues changed a computer screensaver to read "I'm a Barbie girl in a doggie world" and hid the personal belongings from her locker.
Pc Sherry is one of several women officers who alleged they had been bullied and intimated by Superintendent John Larkin who was based at Little Park Street.
He was appointed recently to a two-year secondment to the Police Ombudsman's office in Northern Ireland which will involve him investigating complaints against officers.
At a Birmingham employment tribunal last week, Pc Sherry said Supt Larkin mounted a "programme of victimisation" against her and her complaints against him were ignored.
Pc Sherry had claimed she had been subjected to sex discrimination and victimisation.
The force denied all the claims except one "minor matter". It was announced yesterday that following negotiations, it had agreed an out of court settlement.
Speaking for the first time after the case, Pc Sherry said: "I brought my case to the tribunal because I feel bullies should not be allowed to get away with their behaviour.
"The final straw came when I saw the screensaver 'I'm a Barbie girl in a doggie world' on a colleague's computer. I realised that if this was how I was viewed by those with whom I worked, I would never be treated as their equal."
Her solicitor, Jennifer Ains-cough, of Russell Jones & Walker, said: "This was one of the more serious claims of discrimination and victimisation I have seen. It highlights the difficulties women police officers encounter when trying to further their careers and the incapability of some police forces to deal with sex discrimination claims."
Paul Tonks, the chairman of the West Midlands Police Federation, said: "We are pleased that the employment tribunal has finally been settled and that the officer has been unburdened from the trauma of having to go through this process. Constable Sherry can now hopefully put this episode behind her and return to the role that she enjoys most - that of a police officer."
Pc Sherry has now returned to work at the same police station as an administrator for the force's community liaison department.
A West Midlands Police spokeswoman said: "Lawyers representing Pc Vicki Sherry approached West Midlands Police to resolve matters relating to an application made by the officer at Birmingham employment tribunal against the force. An agreement was reached and as a result the application is being withdrawn.
"Prior to the tribunal, the force accepted liability for one minor matter and robustly contested all other complaints. The agreement was reached without further admissions of liability."
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