Award-winning Hyndburn dog warden sacked (From Lancashire Telegraph)
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Award-winning Hyndburn dog warden sacked
4:40pm Friday 30th July 2010 in
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- By Emma Cruces » Reporter
HYNDBURN’S dog warden has been sacked in a row over tendering.
Steve Wood, who is the national dog warden of the year, was dismissed by employers K9 after they found he submitted his own tender for the council’s dog warden contract, currently held by K9.
The firm said it was gross misconduct but Mr Wood said it was a technicality.
His contract had included a ‘competition agreement’ which means that even if his employment ended, he could not work for the firm’s customers for at least 12 months.
Mr Wood, of Rishton, was made warden of the year by the National Dog Warden Association in 2009. Judges said his charity, Hyndburn Stray Dogs In Need, was ‘the best of its kind in the world’.
He said: “I was amazed when I was sacked because I know I did a good job. I admit I didn’t know everything in my contract because I signed it 11 years ago.
“I’d had a lot of encouragment from various people to put in my own tender and I thought I should because being the borough’s dog warden was very important to me.
“I’m concentrating on Hyndburn Stray Dogs in Need for now as we have received funding and I still work with the council.”
A statement from K9 said that the firm ‘would like to confirm the dismissal of the dog warden at Hyndburn Borough Council Mr S. Wood, for gross misconduct’.
Leader of Hyndburn Council Peter Britcliffe said the issue was a private matter between K9 and Mr Wood but added: “The council has always been impressed by Steve Wood’s dedication.
Comments(18)
lindie lo
says...
5:12pm Fri 30 Jul 10
Tazz360
says...
5:43pm Fri 30 Jul 10
I was fined £50 for something and nothing because of this little jobsworth, so forgive me if you can't hear blood dripping from the old ticker.
One less little hitler the better.
ste.g
says...
6:05pm Fri 30 Jul 10
Dave Harwood
says...
6:34pm Fri 30 Jul 10
andy1
says...
9:22pm Fri 30 Jul 10
Tazz360 wrote:You fail to say why you was fined though could it be either the following by any chance dog fouling and not picking it up? or allowing your dog to stray by its self. Im not saying either of the two but if its the case sorry you would be in the wrong not the dog warden. I think that this warden by the sounds of it would have a case at a Employment Tribunal.
Erm okay.. so hundreds of people around the region are sacked every month, doesn't mean they get their mug in the paper over it.
I was fined £50 for something and nothing because of this little jobsworth, so forgive me if you can't hear blood dripping from the old ticker.
One less little hitler the better.
wrinkles
says...
10:23pm Fri 30 Jul 10
lindie lo wrote:Of course Steve Wood knew the wording of his contract - it's a standard condition which either states a time span limit and/or an area limit.
absolutely disgusting treatment of Steve. He's done amazing work for the stray dogs of Hyndburn - put his absolute heart and soul into it which is more than his employers have/could/would do. gross misconduct my backside - witch hunt and sour grapes more like. i hope he appeals to an employment tribunal.
The honourable thing to do would be for this man to have given in his notice to K9 twelve months ago if he fancied going into business on his own account. He didn't, which means he knows all K9's current pricing structures and customers and must have been secretly plotting against his employers during the last 12 months. How many more of K9's customers has he been meeting in the course of his employment and sounding them out about employing him directly? With less overheads he would be able to submit very competitive quotations.
Centaur
says...
9:32am Sat 31 Jul 10
However, he has not done that. He has BECOME a competitor, and that's different. So he should go to a tribunal and I'm sure he would win
Tazz360
says...
9:43am Sat 31 Jul 10
andy1 wrote:No it wasn't anything to do with a canine, it was in fact an incident over a scrunched-up sweet wrapper (size of a pea) that I threw out of my car window whilst stationary.. yes it was a naughty thing to do and I paid the fine immediately like the good person that I am, but stories like these bring a smile to my face.. as they say.. karma is a **** :)
Tazz360 wrote: Erm okay.. so hundreds of people around the region are sacked every month, doesn't mean they get their mug in the paper over it. I was fined £50 for something and nothing because of this little jobsworth, so forgive me if you can't hear blood dripping from the old ticker. One less little hitler the better.You fail to say why you was fined though could it be either the following by any chance dog fouling and not picking it up? or allowing your dog to stray by its self. Im not saying either of the two but if its the case sorry you would be in the wrong not the dog warden. I think that this warden by the sounds of it would have a case at a Employment Tribunal.
Chris P Bacon
says...
12:45pm Sat 31 Jul 10
useyourhead
says...
12:48pm Sat 31 Jul 10
Chris P Bacon wrote:pmsl
Eh, Tazz. My Karma ran over my Dogma.
Tazz360
says...
1:00pm Sat 31 Jul 10
Chris P Bacon wrote:Haha love it
Eh, Tazz. My Karma ran over my Dogma.
maxthecollie
says...
2:27pm Sat 31 Jul 10
thegobster
says...
3:06pm Sat 31 Jul 10
ng off the hand that fed him...And I would have to disagree about him being a good warden...I had cause to ring him some time ago about 2 dogs running wild, barking and growling and chasing children and he didnt even return my call....So I dont think he is that great a loss to the community.
ClitheroeKid
says...
3:17pm Sat 31 Jul 10
Centaur wrote:Centaur what you're said is not quite correct as the article states 'His contract had included a ‘competition agreement’ which means that even if his employment ended, he could not work for the firm’s customers for at least 12 months.' The firms customer is Hyndburn Council.
His contract apparently says he cannot leave his job and then WORK FOR a competitor. However, he has not done that. He has BECOME a competitor, and that's different. So he should go to a tribunal and I'm sure he would win
Therefore he breached his contact of employment or would do if he won the tender! No case to answer!
Centaur
says...
4:00pm Sat 31 Jul 10
ClitheroeKid wrote:Yeah, you're correct and I'm wrong.
Centaur wrote: His contract apparently says he cannot leave his job and then WORK FOR a competitor. However, he has not done that. He has BECOME a competitor, and that's different. So he should go to a tribunal and I'm sure he would winCentaur what you're said is not quite correct as the article states 'His contract had included a ‘competition agreement’ which means that even if his employment ended, he could not work for the firm’s customers for at least 12 months.' The firms customer is Hyndburn Council. Therefore he breached his contact of employment or would do if he won the tender! No case to answer!
But I've had such contracts myself (as corrected), and they do not hold water as any company cannot stop you seeking gainful employment with anybody, ex-customer or not. Try the European Employment Truibunal, and they have stated against such paragraphs in any employment contract.
Sorry for the c**k-up.
davree
says...
7:46pm Sat 31 Jul 10
SSKBoo
says...
12:39am Mon 2 Aug 10
thegobster wrote:Well said!!!
What did he expect??........Biti ng off the hand that fed him...And I would have to disagree about him being a good warden...I had cause to ring him some time ago about 2 dogs running wild, barking and growling and chasing children and he didnt even return my call....So I dont think he is that great a loss to the community.
eric_cartman
says...
9:52pm Wed 4 Aug 10
Tazz360 wrote:I think anyone who has read the local press over the last few years will know he's never been one to shy away from a bit of self publicity ( he even landed himself an article in accy observer during the bad weather over snowballs ).
Erm okay.. so hundreds of people around the region are sacked every month, doesn't mean they get their mug in the paper over it. I was fined £50 for something and nothing because of this little jobsworth, so forgive me if you can't hear blood dripping from the old ticker. One less little hitler the better.
He once fined me 50 quid ( which I paid ) but his attitude in doing so was disgusting IMHO
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DISMISSED: Steve Wood
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