A senior cashier who worked for a bank for 33 years told an employment tribunal she was forced to resign after being bullied and harassed by her boss.

Wendy Neal, 54, of Worthing, is claiming compensation for constructive dismissal from Lloyds TSB.

An allegation of sexual discrimination was withdrawn.

Mrs Neal, who worked at the Broadwater branch in Worthing, alleges her complaints were unfairly and incompetently investigated. She said she resigned because she lost all trust and confidence in the company.

Lloyds TSB denied treating her unfairly.

Mrs Neal told the Brighton hearing she felt angry about the way she had been treated after such long service.

She said her doctor signed her off work in February 1999, because she was suffering from depression due to bullying and harassment by her line manager Tim Harrison.

She later made a formal complaint and hoped the company would prevent Mr Harrison being in charge of staff again.

She said: "My objective was to get him sorted out once and for all. I wanted it stopped. I had a lot of witnesses. I did not want management to allow this to happen."

She claimed the bank took seven months to investigate her allegations and failed to interview five colleagues who she said were also victims of Mr Harrison's actions and would have proved there was a long history of problems with his behaviour.

She said she was angry when she later discovered her allegations of bullying and harassment had not been upheld.

A report concluded Mr Harrison had humiliated her and he was moved to the Storrington branch.

Mrs Neal said it was impossible for her to return to work at Broadwater because she would still have come into contact with Mr Harrison.

She felt it was unfair she should move to another job further from Worthing and she resigned in February 2000, without returning to work.

She said: "I had been brought to my knees. It was not right that someone who had been so loyal and hardworking should be treated so abysmally.

"They were not sorry about what it had done to my life. There was no support for me at all."

The company claims the investigation was fair and states it was trying to help her find another job so she could return to work when she resigned.

The hearing continues.