A FINGERPRINT expert is determined to win back her job after her second victory for unfair dismissal against a North-East police force.

Gail Hunter, 33, revealed last night she still wanted her old post as team leader at the fingerprint bureau at Durham Police's headquarters, in Durham City - despite once accusing the force of sloppy practices, bullying and sexual harassment.

Her solicitor, Jonathan Barker, said Ms Hunter was relieved at the ruling following the "traumatic" three-week tribunal hearing at Newcastle, last year.

"She was horrified that she had to go through it all again, but she has done so and is hoping that after everything has been thrashed out it might clear the decks for her to return," said Mr Barker.

"She's been a fingerprint expert for 13 years and it's not something she will give up without quite a fight."

The civilian worker, formerly of Leadgate, near Consett, County Durham, was initially sacked in July 1999 after admitting falsifying a date on a fingerprint continuity record.

But she won her job back after a successful appeal to Durham Police Authority where she claimed such practices were widespread within the bureau. She was awarded an undisclosed sum.

Ms Hunter, who led a team which was responsible for evidence used by Cleveland Police, later claimed she was victimised for whistle-blowing about working practices at the bureau.

In November 2000, she was moved to a junior post as a filing clerk at Consett police station after describing the atmosphere in the bureau as "intolerable".

She understood the move would be temporary, but when she saw her old post advertised in 2001, she took Durham Police to a tribunal claiming unfair dismissal.

But the force said she had been told she would not be returning to the fingerprint bureau. Both Durham and Cleveland forces maintained they were happy with the working practices at the bureau.

The tribunal had earlier heard there was never any question that evidence had been tampered with.

But the forces did recognise Ms Hunter was subjected to "inappropriate comments" and behaviour by some members of staff.

Since the hearing, Ms Hunter has moved to the South-West and is working for police in a fingerprint bureau, but not as a team leader.

Her weight is understood to have plummeted to six stone as a result of the stress she has suffered and she wants to return to the North-East to be with her family and friends.

A friend, Steven Richardson, of Coulby Newham, Middlesbrough, said the tribunal ruling had come as a big relief to her. "It was a job that she loved and she was very good at it," he said.

A remedy hearing will be held in Newcastle next month to decide whether Ms Hunter should be reinstated and what compensation she should receive, if any.

A spokesman for Durham Police said they were considering their options following the judgement.