A rail worker who was sacked after hurting his back while selling fares in a cramped ticket booth has won his claim for unfair dismissal.

Tony Robshaw, who is 17 stone and 6ft 1in tall, claimed working in the excess ticket office at Hove Station left him in agony.

He reached a financial settlement with his former employer, Connex South Central, and will receive £1,500 compensation.

Mr Robshaw, 44, of Valencia Road, Worthing, told the Brighton tribunal at a hearing earlier this month the ticket booth was too small for him to comfortably work in.

A tribunal heard he was forced to twist his body to operate the ticket machine.

When he went off sick in October 1999 suffering from severe back pain, he was sacked.

Mr Robshaw said the rail company treated him unfairly because his working conditions were to blame for his back problems.

The company claimed Mr Robshaw never complained to his bosses that he was having a problem working in the booth.

He was then sacked because his attendance record failed to meet the requirements of his 12-month probationary period.

The Brighton tribunal ruled the company had not followed a fair procedure when it decided to sack Mr Robshaw after he went off sick for 13 days before the end of his probationary period.

It failed to apply its full medical process to the dismissal procedure and there had been a lack of formal contact with Mr Robshaw.

After the hearing, Mr Robshaw, who still receives incapacity benefit and may need an operation in the future, welcomed the tribunal's ruling.

He said: "I am happy with the decision. It was worth bringing the case."