An ambulance manager was unfairly disciplined by bosses he had previously blown the whistle on, an employment tribunal has found.

Paul Holmes took Essex Ambulance Service NHS Trust to a tribunal after a "humourous" letter to Braintree Council ended in a disciplinary hearing at work.

Mr Holmes had written the letter, complaining about a lack of refuse collection over the Christmas period, which he told the tribunal he wrote as an individual.

However, referring to the hard work paramedics do all year round, he attached his business card and used his work title of Essex Ambulance fleet manager, copying it to local newspapers.

Mr Holmes, of Earls Colne, was brought before bosses accused of misusing the Trust's name, after Braintree Council complained about it.

He was given a final written warning for gross misconduct, despite having apologised and there being no adverse publicity.

The 63-year-old had, on two previous occasions, reported director of operations Paul Leaman and associate director of human relations Richard Lane for breaching company procedures.

Mr Leaman had bypassed normal procedures, and placed orders directly with a firm where his friend worked, which was not supplying competitive quotes, thus breaching protocol.

Later, he and Mr Lane used an untaxed, uninsured ambulance vehicle, without permission, on a "booze cruise" to France, the tribunal heard.

Stratford tribunal unanimously found Mr Leaman and Mr Lane's involvement in the disciplinary hearing was influenced by Mr Holmes's complaints against them.

They said Mr Lane, who had chaired the disciplinary panel, "seized the opportunity to hand out a more serious disciplinary penalty to someone who had caused trouble for both of them in the past".

Mr Holmes had, they said, suffered "identifiable detriments" on the grounds that he had made "protected disclosures" about them.

Mr Holmes' compensation is still being negotiated.