A former reservations manager at Glyndebourne Opera House who lost her job after the September 11 terrorist attacks has won £5,300 compensation.

Julia Smith, 59, successfully claimed she was unfairly dismissed by Letherby and Christopher, a division of the Compass Group, which has a contract to supply catering.

An industrial tribunal heard how Mrs Smith, of Harvard Road, Ringmer, was shocked to lose her job at the opera house, near Ringmer, where she had worked for 13 years until last November.

She claimed the dismissal procedure was unfair and she should have been offered alternative work.

The Brighton tribunal heard Mrs Smith's job was dealing with advance bookings for Glyndebourne's three restaurants and for picnics.

There was already pressure on costs but following the September 11 attacks in America cutbacks were considered due to the predicted adverse impact on business.

Mrs Smith was informed her job was at risk of becoming redundant because a full-time reservations manager was no longer needed.

The company claimed she rejected suggestions of only working during the height of the season or becoming a waitress.

But Mrs Smith claimed her job should not have been made redundant because it was still necessary and said she was shown the door because of a personality clash with her new boss, the operations director.

She said she would have considered alternative posts.

The tribunal ruled Mrs Smith had been "fairly and squarely" made redundant.

However, it said as a loyal and long-serving member of staff she should have been treated with greater sensitivity.

The panel ruled the dismissal was unfair because of the company's serious procedural defects but it concluded that had a fair procedure been adopted the chances of Mrs Smith still being dismissed were 50 per cent and so reduced the financial compensation she would have received by half.

After the case, Mrs Smith, who said she worked more than 100 hours a week at times during the height of the season, said: "I lived for my job at Glyndebourne.

"I am very glad I brought the case because I felt I had been so badly treated."

Last night, her former employers declined to comment.