A NORTH-EAST law firm has helped the family of a terminally ill cancer patient receive a £228,000 settlement after he was dismissed by his employer without consultation.

Father-of-two Clive Golledge, 47, of Wolsingham, County Durham, was diagnosed with bowel cancer in May 2011 and given three years to live by doctors.

He died just before Christmas last year.

Mr Golledge, a national sales manager for a publishing company supplying calendars to large retailers, was told by his employer in July 2012 that their private health insurance premium had increased because of his treatment, telling him their health insurance scheme was cancelled.

Just days later, he was dismissed without consultation and told he could not claim his employer's death in service benefit scheme, which he was relying on to provide for his family after his death.

Commercial law firm Muckle LLP, based in Newcastle, who worked with Mr Golledge and his family, said he was denied long-term sick leave and brought proceedings for unfair dismissal and disability discrimination.

Mr Golledge's employer paid out on the full £228,000 death in service entitlement to his children on the first morning of an employment tribunal at Newcastle.

Paul Johnstone, a partner in Muckle's employment team, said: “There are important lessons to be learned from this case and employers must not disregard good employee relations procedures.

“They should make reasonable adjustments to help disabled employees, who are terminally ill, to maintain the employment benefits that they and their families are legitimately entitled to.

“Mr Golledge’s concern about losing his death in service benefit created additional undue stress at an incredibly difficult time when he and his family were already under immense pressure.”