Firefighter Secures £40k Payout After Colleague's Lover Harasses Her by Snooping Through Private Journal at Work

A FIREFIGHTER has been paid more than £40k for unfair dismissal after claiming her boyfriend colleague rifled through her private journal at work.

Kelly Rice ended up getting into a relationship with a senior firefighter who had been acting as her mentor at Fire and Rescue Service.

An employment tribunal ruled Ms Rice was effectively forced out of the fire serviceCredit: X Ms Rice said that the work ‘culture’ left her battling anxiety and depressionCredit: X

Though bosses later ruled he had “bullied and harassed” her at work.

A tribunal heard he was slapped with a final written warning, which Ms Rice argued was not an “adequate” punishment.

Ms Rice’s claims of constructive dismissal regarding the male colleague were not upheld.

As a result she refused to return to front-line duties and said the “culture” left her battling anxiety and .

But she has now won claims of unfair dismissal and disability discrimination after an tribunal ruled she was effectively forced out.

Ms Rice was awarded a staggering £42,853.73.

The panel heard she was dragged into disciplinary proceedings while still dealing with “trauma” and denied the chance to stay in a non-operational role.

Judges found Gloucestershire County Council’s actions “exacerbated” the harassment she had suffered.

Ms Rice joined Stroud in January 2019 and was mentored by a firefighter, referred to in the hearing as “KS”.

By April, four months later, the pair were in a relationship but things quickly deteriorated.

She raised concerns with Watch Manager Richard Basham throughout 2019.

By January 2020 she and Mr Basham were exchanging messages about her senior colleague’s behaviour.

On March 2, 2020, she accused him of rummaging through her bag and reading her private journal.

She ended the relationship with her mentor the same day.

“KS” was later given a final written warning after it was found he had bullied and harassed her.

But Ms Rice lodged a grievance and said she did not trust the .

The tribunal heard she “did not believe that the investigation was fair or accurate”.

She said there was additional evidence she could supply and claimed the sanction “was inadequate and demonstrated in her view that the fire service regarded the behaviour as acceptable”.

Following her complaints, Ms Rice was told she could not interfere with another firefighter’s disciplinary process.

She then stepped back from active duty and took a temporary headquarters job, saying it helped her mental .

But senior fire chiefs later ordered her back to her original role and warned that if she wanted to stay non-operational she would have to retire and reapply.

The tribunal hearing heard that this went against medical advice.

Occupational health doctor Dr Galey warned her manager: “She feels that justice has not been served by the outcome and that returning to active firefighting duties because of her perceptions would simply result in further issues with her mood and anxiety.”

Ms Rice went off sick in May 2021 due to the stress of constant wrangling with senior staff.

She told the tribunal she suffered “” at work and developed “complex post-traumatic stress disorder”.

She had permission to work other while off sick but was still handed a final written warning.

More disciplinary action followed in 2022 when she did not attend meetings or comply with a return-to-work plan.

Her appeals were dismissed and she resigned from service in August 2022.

She told the tribunal: “The behaviours I received have resulted in my having to seek support from counsellors, therapists, and doctors, and I’m undergoing hypnotherapy to cope with the emotional trauma.

“I have found it difficult to concentrate both in my work and personal life due to the situation causing stressful thoughts and memories and the duration of the ordeal.

“This has at times affected my ability to perform even the simplest tasks.

“I have lost my sense of self-worth and the confidence I once had in my abilities has been shattered.

“This has not only impacted my career progression but has also strained my with family and friends.”

Employment Judge Paul Cadney ruled she had been mistreated through being pushed back into operational duties, then disciplined for not doing so, and finally having her appeals dismissed.

He said the treatment “did have the effect of prolonging and exacerbating in part the pre-existing consequences of the KS events”.

A Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service spokesman told the Daily Mail: “We have received notification of the outcome of an Employment Tribunal heard in July 2025 in Bristol.

“It is deeply regrettable when any employee leaves our Service, and particularly in relation to the individual involved in this case.

“We are committed to learning from this experience.

“A full debrief will be undertaken to review the management of this complex case and to identify improvements in how we handle grievance and competency matters going forward.

“As part of our ongoing commitment to high standards and accountability, we have already taken steps to strengthen our processes by establishing a Professional Standards Unit, which provides greater oversight and consistency in managing such cases.”

Ms Rice won a £40k payout after being ‘harassed’ by colleague lover who snooped through her private journal at workCredit: X Ms Rice said she ‘lost my sense of self-worth’Credit: X