A projectionist has won a small pay-off from one of Britain's oldest cinemas after she was unfairly sacked and forced to abandon her business.

Lucy Weston was awarded a sum thought to have been around £1,500 by Worthing Dome Cinema in a last-minute offer from lawyers as the two sides were due to hear the conclusion of an employment tribunal in Brighton yesterday.

The hearing had upheld Miss Weston's claim for unfair dismissal after her lawyer described a culture of "bullying, deceit, lies and inefficiency" at the cinema.

The two sides were about to hear how much compensation Miss Weston was to get when they struck a deal.

Miss Weston, 28, who is suing the cinema for breach of contract in a separate civil action, said: "This has been a year long case and I have had to try and get on with my life when have had everything taken away from me. "

Within the context of the tribunal the settlement is what I expected but it does not go far enough to meet what has happened to me since I left the Dome."

Miss Weston was fired by Worthing Dome bosses last June after joining the cinema while studying at Northbrook College in November 2001.

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

But the tribunal heard how Miss Weston was dismissed during a meeting with cinema director Colin Bradshaw just days after being admitted to hospital with panic attacks.

Mr Bradshaw denied firing the projectionist and claimed she had resigned Tribunal chairman Raymond Trickey found in Miss Weston's favour.

The Worthing Dome declined the opportunity to comment.