Harrods security guard unfairly dismissed for enforcing safety guidelines against staff

The Times reports that John Perrett, who was a security guard at the store, was dismissed for gross misconduct after he stopped a manger of the store and a director’s PA from walking around the store with takeaway coffee cups.

He said Caroline Lyons, the merchandise manager, as well as Chloe Marsh, a PA, behaved aggressively and rudely towards him even though he was simply following store policy.

The former Irish Guardsman, whose total claim was for £90,000, said the pair attempted to intimidate him by saying they were getting the drinks for Harrods’ HR and retail director, Sarah Andrews and a board member.

While the Central London Employment Tribunal agreed Mr Perrett had been unfairly dismissed, it disagreed he suffered sex discrimination.

Mr Perrett said after the ruling: “The executives at Harrods treat people lower down the chain with contempt.

“I was merely doing my job and that’s what lost me my job.”

The store said he would not be given his job back because of allegations of “conspiracy and lies” against staff members – the tribunal ruled these were “unfounded and unsubstantiated”.