Record number of government staff dismissals overturned

A record number of sacked government workers successfully overturned their dismissals last year, with total compensation breaking the £1m barrier for the first time.

The Civil Service Appeal Board's annual report, published this morning, showed that it upheld 80 appeals against dismissals, costing taxpayers a total of £1,133,608.

More than one in four appeals were upheld in 2007-08 - the highest proportion in seven years.

Reasons appeals were upheld included insufficiently thorough investigations unacceptable delays in the disciplinary process and failure to follow statutory and disciplinary procedures.