An Exeter employment tribunal has ordered the former mayor of Chard, Somerset to pay £33,697 in damages to a former town clerk who brought a successful claim of sexual harassment.

Sally Bing’s victory against Councillor Tony Prior followed the settlement of her case against Chard Town Council which agreed to pay her £25,000 for loss of earnings.

The harassment included looking down Ms Bing’s blouse, inappropriate telephone calls and e-mails, asking her to go on holiday with him and offering her money with a sexual motivation.

When Ms. Bing complained about the harassment and reported the mayor to the Standards Board for England, Prior further victimised her by issuing her with a written warning and putting out a press release making various claims about her with the intention of calling her integrity into question.

As a result of her treatment, Ms Bing became sick with stress and eventually resigned from Chard Town Council.

Her case was supported by the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) which says the case illustrates that sexual harassment remains all too common.

EOC research shows that for each of the last five years, there has been one successful sexual harassment case brought each week, and sexual harassment cases comprise 22 per cent of all successful sex discrimination cases.

In addition, the EOC receives many calls about sexual harassment to its helpline – it is one of the top five reasons for calls.

Jenny Watson, EOC chairman, said: “Sexual harassment is still an issue causing women like Sally Bing stress and financial penalties when they leave their jobs as a result of it.

“We suspect that cases that come to our attention – like Ms Bing’s – are only the tip of the iceberg. It’s important for women to know what they can do to tackle harassment – and for employers to know how they can help stamp it out in the workplace.

“Strong leadership and a few simple steps taken by employers can make all the difference, something that the best employers already recognise.

“Creating a workplace in which everyone is valued and in which there is no place for bullying or harassment helps to boost morale and productivity, and of course helps to avoid the high costs of tribunal claims.”