Dyslexic policeman branded 'thick and stupid' sues force for £500,000

A dyslexic police recruit hounded out by officers who called him lazy and lacking in grit is in line for up to £500,000 in compensation.

Probationary constable Owen Brooking, 24, was said to be intelligent and articulate by an employment tribunal which condemned Essex police for treating him as "thick and stupid" because of his condition.

He was branded "lazy" and lacking in "grit" and no proper allowance was made for his condition.

Despite passing his initial training programme with flying colours, Mr Brooking was not allowed on patrol and was made to redo paperwork endlessly at South Woodham Ferrers police station in a deliberate bid to humiliate him, the tribunal found.

The panel heard Mr Brooking's supervising tutor, Pc Dawn Phillips, taunted him that he was only good for taking sets of fingerprints.

She made him repeat work on one file 10 times, claiming he had made 32 mistakes in a witness statement later accepted by the CPS, and constantly urged him to quit.

Mr Brooking first applied to join Essex Police in 2003 but the recruitment process took two years after they repeatedly failed to realise he was dyslexic and lost his assessment.

Mr Brooking started training in July 2005 and resigned in January 2006. He has since worked successfully as a police community support officer at Leigh-on-Sea police station in Essex.

In its judgment, Stratford Employment Tribunal found that Mr Brooking had "no option" other than to resign after three officers, including Pc Phillips, set out to "intimidate and humiliate" him.

It ruled: "Essex Police failed to appreciate that the duty to make reasonable adjustments rests with it.

"Where a disabled employee is able to assist with ideas and suggestions, this is welcome but the burden of dealing with this should never be shifted to them."

Speaking after the case, Mr Brooking said: "I joined the police because I wanted to make a difference in the community.

"Nobody I encountered in the force had the first clue about dyslexia. My training in Ashford was absolutely horrendous.

"It was all paperwork, which was a nightmare with my learning difficulty. It is ironic that they accused me of being lazy because I was struggling in lessons when I was putting in six hours a night on top of classes. I was having to work harder than anyone else on the course."

Mr Brooking was earning £23,000 when he quit as a probationer. His current salary as a PCSO is £17,000 and he does not have scope for progressing his career.

His solicitor John Mackenzie said: "Mr Brooking is now seeking £500,000 in compensation to reflect lost earnings and pension rights from having a possible 30-year career as a police officer blocked."