A diplomat who was wrongly accused of sexual misconduct is to get compensation after winning a five-year battle to clear his name.

Despite his 37 years of service, John Yapp, 61, of Eastbourne, was withdrawn from his post in June 2008 after Belizean politician Eamon Courtenay accused him of touching his wife’s bottom.

The claims were found to be untrue and Mr Yapp has now successfully sued the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) over its handling of the incident.

Mr Yapp was subjected to a lengthy FCO disciplinary process and became ill with depression.

As a result he never returned to work and was forced to retire after a long period of sick leave.

At the High Court Mr Justice Cranston deemed the FCO had acted in breach of contract and in breach of its duty of care to Mr Yapp by withdrawing him from his post as High Commissioner unfairly.

The judge also found that Mr Courtenay’s allegations should have been treated with more scepticism and that the reputational damage that would have supposedly been suffered by the UK if the accusations had been true was significantly overblown.

Speaking on behalf of Mr Yapp, John Kings, a consultant solicitor at Buss Murton Law LLP, said: “Mr Yapp is naturally pleased that justice has prevailed after what has been five long and hard – and very costly – years.

“He wishes to thank his wife Anne in particular, for her unswerving love and support throughout, his legal team for seeing at the outset the apparent injustice of his treatment in terms of the law, and for working so hard to address this, each and every one of his witnesses whose belief in justice was very evident and his many friends and well wishers in Belize, in the UK, and indeed literally across the world.

“I hope that the FCO will be investigating the matter with those responsible for the decisions so wrongly made and taking action in order to ensure that such blatantly unfair and damaging treatment is not repeated.”

A settlement for the case will be agreed at a later date.