A Catholic firearms officer has won almost £44,000 in a religious harassment case after 'f*** the Pope' was written on his work coffee mug. Police Sergeant Paul McCue discovered the message had been graffitied on the underside of his Celtic Football Club mug and was so upset he had to go home from work.
The officer - part of a unit dedicated to protecting nuclear sites - had previously been 'harassed' by colleagues writing comments about loyalist paramilitary group the Ulster Defence Association, an employment tribunal heard. The hearing was told there was a history of 'religious tensions' within the Civil Nuclear Constabulary unit where Sgt McCue worked, with the force having to hold investigations and training sessions following allegations of sectarianism.
Now, Sgt McCue - who has been off work for more than a year - has been awarded £43,981 in compensation after successfully suing the force, which protects the UK's nuclear sites, over the mug incident. The firearms officer, responsible for managing a team of officers, was based at Hunterston B Power Station on the west coast of Scotland, having joined the force in 2007.
