A THAI clothing worker who claimed that factory staff had subjected her to racial taunts after seeing a television programme on prostitution in her homeland has lost her claim for racial discrimination.

Ratchanee Hickson had claimed that the jibes were part of the reason she had taken two weeks off last July from the Loudella factory in Bishop Auckland, County Durham.

But an employment tribunal in Newcastle ruled that company owner Geoff Moore had not been guilty of either racial or sexual discrimination when he later sacked the mother-of-two while she was on an unauthorised holiday in Thailand.

In fact, it added that Mr Moore had not known of any racial comments and had acted as a reasonable employer by trying to find why 39-year-old Mrs Hickson, from Spennymoor, was not at work.

When she did not return, Mr Moore was entitled to believe she had broken her contract and the dismissal was, therefore, fair.

Mr Moore, who has just been informed of the ruling, said yesterday that all Loudella's 38-strong workforce would be relieved at the verdict.

He denied that anyone at the factory was racist, adding: "We are a very close team and all the girls were upset and angry at the claims Mrs Hickson made."

His wife and business partner, Pam, said: "This has been a difficult few months for all of us. If we had lost, it could have put the jobs of the rest of the girls at risk.

"Mrs Hickson had worked for us before, so why would she have come back if we had been such poor employers?

"She asked for time off to go to Thailand but was not given permission because it was short notice and she was a key worker.

"My husband is a very fair man and he would not have behaved like she claimed."

The tribunal, last April, had been told that Mrs Hickson had not gone back to work after the factory's two-week summer break ended in August.

She had submitted a four-week sick note saying she was suffering from depression before travelling to be with her family in Thailand, believing it would help her recovery.

Mrs Hickson could not be contacted for comment yesterday