A DINNER lady sacked from her job after an alleged breach of trust has lost an appeal against her dismissal.

Carol Hill could go to an industrial tribunal after county Education chiefs upheld Great Tey Primary School’s decision to sack her.

Meanwhile, the case has taken a twist, as Education Secretary Ed Balls has written to governors to express his concerns about how the situation was handled.

Mrs Hill, 61, was dismissed after she bumped into parents Scott and Claire David at a Beaver Scouts meeting, and told them how their seven-year-old daughter, Chloe, had been tied up in the school playground and whipped with a skipping rope by other pupils.

Speaking at the end of Friday’s behind-closed-doors hearing, she said she was “bitterly disappointed” officials had failed to recognise she had acted with the youngster’s best interests at heart.

Mrs Hill, who broke down as she tried to read out a prepared statement, said: “I am so hurt that people can do this to me, when all I am trying to do is protect a child. Where’s the justice? There’s no justice.”

The school’s representatives, including headteacher Debbie Crabb, left the appeal hearing at the Colchester Centre, in Greenstead, Colchester, via a fire exit. Essex County Council did not explain the reasons for its decision.

Stephen Castle, county councillor responsible for education, said: “The last few months have been a turbulent time for pupils, parents and staff, and the school must now be left alone to focus on what is really important – the education, development and wellbeing of the children who attend.”

Mick Mahoney, of the union Unison, who represented Mrs Hill, said he thought the verdict was a disgrace. He said: “I’m gutted. “My feeling is child protection should be paramount, but that doesn’t seem to have applied here at all.”

Chloe’s father Scott David said: “I’m surprised. Just because someone has tried to help us, they have been sacked for it.”

The letter from Mr Balls, a copy of which was sent to Mr David, focused on how he and his wife’s recent complaints to the school were handled.

It said: “I am disappointed that despite previous correspondence from the department, in which we have set out our expectations that there were lessons to be learned following the incident, the school appears to have once again dismissed the concerns of Mr and Mrs David.”

Mrs Hill said she would speak to solicitors before deciding whether to take further legal action.