A man sacked for fighting at work has won his claim for unfair dismissal.

Tim Weedon is now trying to persuade his former bosses at Parker Pen, in Newhaven, to give him back his job.

Mr Weedon was sacked with colleague Steve Harris after they were involved in a punch-up on the factory floor last October.

Both men claimed they were unfairly dismissed.

After a three-day hearing a Brighton employment tribunal decided the firm was fair to sack Mr Harris, from Crawley, who had been involved in a previous violent incident at work.

But it ruled by a majority decision that Mr Weedon, from Seaford, was unfairly dismissed.

However, he could be held up to 50 per cent responsible for losing his job, which will mean when compensation is decided on November 21 the figure could be reduced by half.

The tribunal heard Mr Weedon wanted his job back.

Tribunal chairman Charles Twiss said the company should consider re-employing Mr Weedon, whose work record was praised by managers during the hearing.

He said: "He should make a jolly good employee in the future."

The hearing was told trouble broke out after Mr Harris took offence to a remark written by Mr Weedon in a comment book relating to the number of components made one shift.

The two men, who worked for the company for more than 20 years, clashed and ended up wrestling on the ground. Punches were thrown and hot coffee spilled.

Mr Weedon reported the fight to his manager and claimed he acted in self-defence.

Mr Harris denied being the aggressor or kicking Mr Weedon.

Both men said they did not believe the company would sack them for the fight.

They said the firm's decision was unfair because when Mr Harris was involved in a violent incident in 1993 he kept his job and was given a warning.

Another member of staff ended up going to hospital.

They argued they were unaware the company's policy on violence at work had changed and they did not realise their jobs were at risk.

The company denied being unfair to both men. An investigation concluded Mr Harris provoked the action and Mr Weedon over-reacted.

The firm claimed the men were sacked because their behaviour was unacceptable and could be dangerous close to machinery.

Throughout the hearing the two men sat next to each other but waited in separate rooms during breaks in the proceedings. When the case was over they both shook hands.