A projectionist unfairly sacked by one of Britain's oldest cinemas is to sue her former employers.

Lucy Weston plans to take the Worthing Dome to court for breach of contract after she was dismissed last year and forced to abandon her own business, which ran from the cinema.

A Brighton employment tribunal yesterday upheld her claim for unfair dismissal, after her lawyer said there was a culture of "bullying, deceit, lies and inefficiency" at the cinema.

Miss Weston, 28, said: "I lost my entire business when I was sacked. Working in that cinema was my whole life and I lost my job and my whole future.

"I have to rebuild my life. I have moved back in with my parents and I want justice.

"I invested a lot in my business and now I need to try and scrape my way back."

Miss Weston started working at the Dome in November 2001 when she was a student at Northbrook College in Worthing.

In Spring 2004 she won sponsorship from the Prince's Trust to set up a portrait photography business at the cinema, renting office space while continuing to work for the Dome.

But the tribunal heard Miss Weston was fired by cinema director Colin Bradshaw last June, just days after being admitted to hospital with panic attacks.

Miss Weston had requested a meeting with her employers, including managing director Belle Stennett, after arriving late for work and being verbally abused by her supervisor and Mrs Stennett's son James, the tribunal heard.

When the meeting began, an hour late, Miss Weston was unable to bring in a colleague as a witness and was then sacked.

Mr Bradshaw denied firing the projectionist, claiming she had resigned.

Tribunal chairman Raymond Trickey said: "The claimant was under pressure at this meeting and it seems to us very likely that if there was any kind of resignation it was, at the very least, in the heat of the moment.

"It is very difficult to see a resignation situation alongside one where the claimant was expressing her love for her job and that she did not want to lose it and being very upset and crying, as is admitted by Mr Bradshaw."

The tribunal rejected a claim for unfair constructive dismissal from former employee Marie Macbain, 35, of Samphire Drive, Worthing, along with a claim for wages in relation to statutory sick pay.

A third former employee, James Pearson, 34, of Portland Road, Worthing, also had a claim for unfair constructive dismissal rejected.

The tribunal will meet on May 12 to agree compensation for Miss Weston, when Mr Trickey will also hear arguments on contributory fault.

She said: "I loved my job at the Dome, I loved being with the public, I loved film and being in a wonderful environment.

"It is just such a shame that the management made it so difficult for me."

The Worthing Dome declined the opportunity to comment.