THORNABY Town Council is being sued by a former employee for the fourth time in three years.

Mum-of-two Sandra Evans claims she suffered bullying and intimidation on her return to her post of assistant town clerk after an extended period of maternity and sickness leave.

The 28-year-old believes councillors “resented” her absence.

She also claims she had no choice but to resign from her position in the spring of last year when the town clerk’s job was given to another candidate, Deborah Rudd.

She said that throughout her interview for the position, she was repeatedly asked about childcare provision.

“I had to go into the interview and reassure these councillors that childcare would not be an issue,” she said.

“The lady who was appointed didn’t have children to look after.

“She was only considered better because she didn’t have the childcare issues and in her case they didn’t have the resentment that they had of my maternity leave.”

But some of the six members of the interview panel said they felt Mrs Evans did not display enough confidence and felt she may not have the strength of character to be town clerk.

It was also suggested that Miss Evans left after being faced with the prospect of having Mrs Rudd, against whom she had previously made a grievance, as her boss.

Miss Evans, of Avon Way, Thornaby, worked for the council between 2002 and 2007.

She was away from her job as assistant town clerk for 20 months between 2005 and 2006, when she had her first child, and then went on sick leave with postnatal depression.

She did not return to work as scheduled as she became pregnant again and went on maternity leave.

When she returned in December 2006, she found that Debbie Rudd had been employed in a new post as events co-ordinator.

She told the tribunal at Thornaby yesterday: “I would definitely have applied for the job had it been advertised.”

But Cllr Tina Large, who is now Mayor and chairman of the town council, said: “Sandra had made it clear she did want to be contacted whilst on leave and we didn’t want to be seen to pressure her to return early from her leave.”

Regarding Miss Evans return to work, she said: “I do not accept there was any resentment. It was unavoidable that after 20 months things had changed. The council had been through a turbulent period.”

Employment tribunals against Thornaby Town Council have cost the taxpayer at least £56,500 in just three years.

Three former staff - Leanne Plant, Angela Welsh and Val Rogers - all successfully sued the council for unfair dismissal and received varying levels of compensation.