COLLEGE governors who sacked "a loyal and helpful" technical assistant from Chorley who took an extended holiday have paid more than £13,500 in compensation.

Runshaw College was ordered to pay out after an employment tribunal ruled the worker had been unfairly dismissed.

Governors at the Langdale Road college, Leyland, also lost an appeal against the tribunal's decision -- that they had acted unfairly and unreasonably in dismissing Edward Eccles, 58, when they refused to extend a Christmas holiday break to visit his homesick daughter, Claire, in New Zealand in 1998.

Mr Eccles, of Guildford Avenue, Chorley, had been employed at Runshaw since 1992 and had worked through planned summer holidays in the past.

But he was refused the extended leave, despite having ample "banked" holidays and an agreement from colleagues to work his hours. When he returned from the four-week break with wife, Freda, he was suspended and dismissed.

His trade union UNISON advised Mr Eccles, but did not represent him at the tribunal and his case was taken up by Leyland solicitors Rawsthorns.

The tribunal ruled that the decision to dismiss Mr Eccles "was not a decision a reasonable employer would have taken."

Tribunal members reported that the college had "made no effective enquiries" to justify its belief that Mr Eccles' absence would cause disruption.

Mr Eccles said: "I had always made myself available when the college needed me but, when I needed some help from them, compassion went out of the window.

"I had enjoyed an excellent working relationship with colleagues and students, but it counted for nothing to governors who the independent tribunal, like me, felt had acted unreasonably."

Mr Eccles has written to UNISON general secretary Rodney Bickerstaffe, requesting that his union subscriptions be repaid, to help him meet legal fees.