A FINGERPRINT expert unfairly dismissed by a North-East police force has won more than £61,000 after failing to win her old job back.

Gail Hunter had already had her application to be reinstated as team leader at Durham Police's fingerprint bureau rejected by a Newcastle employment tribunal earlier this week.

Police were then asked by the tribunal to identify a suitable, alternative job within the Durham force which she would be happy to undertake.

But yesterday, both parties failed to reach agreement and Durham Police were ordered to financially compensate Ms Hunter for her unfair dismissal.

The 33-year-old, formerly of Consett, County Durham, was awarded more than £54,000 in compensation following a remedy hearing in Newcastle, plus £7,000 towards her legal costs.

She was originally sacked in 1999 for falsifying a date on a fingerprint continuity record, but reinstated following a successful appeal to the police authority after claiming such practices were widespread.

Later, she was moved to a junior post as a filing clerk after accusing bureau staff of bullying and harassment - a move she understood to be temporary.

Ms Hunter, who now works for Devon and Cornwall Police, then sued and won a case for unfair dismissal after being told that her old job was being re-advertised and she would not be considered for the post.

She had said she would be happy to work again in the Durham City fingerprint bureau and believed she would be able to get on with her former colleagues.

In a statement released last night, solicitor Chris Southey, representing the Durham force, said it had accepted the tribunal decision and acknowledged its right to award compensation.

The statement read: "As a responsible organisation, Durham Constabulary will seek to learn any lessons from its handling of further personnel issues which might arise from this case.

"We would also seek to place on record the utmost confidence we have in the staff at the fingerprint bureau, and the integrity and consistency of their work."