A LONG-serving security guard at Land Registry who is claiming age discrimination will have to wait until September for the result of his employment tribunal.

Robert Allen Ithell, 72, told the hearing he had been working at the Land Registry buildings in Birkenhead for 22 years before being replaced. He said this was “completely out of the blue” and that his work record was faultless.

The former Chubb Security employee claimed he had arrived at work at noon one Friday to find another guard in his place. He was later escorted out of the building.

This was a summary dismissal, Mr Ithell claimed in his evidence.

However, the tribunal heard, Mr Ithell had been into the building the previous day to confront Land Registry accommodation manager David Radley.

As a result, Chubb operations manager Danny Williams, said he had made repeated attempts to call him on that Friday morning. He wanted to stop Mr Ithell from going into work until he could have a face to face meeting the following Monday morning.

He added: “Had the altercation not taken place on Thursday I can only assume that Mr Ithell would have worked alongside the other (replacement) security officer.” Mr Ithell, however, maintained he was left completely in the dark.

No-one, he claimed, wrote to him to explain what was going on and Mr Ithell refused to attend a meeting arranged with Mr Williams unless reasons were given.

Mr Williams said he had telephoned the elderly security guard later that day to explain matters.

He said he wanted to discuss the outcome of a risk assessment and the way he had talked to the Land Registry manager both on Thursday and on Friday.

Mr Ithell’s evidence, however, maintains he had no idea that a risk assessment had ever taken place and that emails showed age had been a contributory factor.

Clare Grundy, tribunal chairperson, will deliberate on August 20 and will release the findings in September.