A SECURITY guard sacked after being accused of assaulting a man banned from a shopping centre has won a case for unfair dismissal.

Employment judges in Manchester said Lee Goodyear, who now works at Burnley's Charter Walk, should not have been fired over the incident in Blackburn's Mall in May last year.

They also said bosses at Vision Security Group (VSG), which hires and manages security guards for the centre, had breached Mr Goodyear’s contract by giving him unpaid notice that his contract was to be terminated.

Mr Goodyear was caught on CCTV ‘threatening’ the man before punching him out of view of the camera.

VSG bosses said it amounted to gross misconduct, but Mr Goodyear said he was acting in self-defence after being threatened by the drunken man.

He was backed by Police Constable Leo Noctor who told the tribunal Mr Goodyear used 'reasonable force'.

After the verdict, Mr Goodyear, 47, of Grindleton Road, in the Johnston Street area of Blackburn, said: “I am very pleased about the decision because I had done nothing wrong and the company did not follow the correct procedures.

“There were times when I was just so depressed and if it had not been for my wife’s support, I don’t know what I would have done.”

Mr Goodyear will learn in July how much he will receive in compensation for loss of earnings and pension contributions.

VSG declined to comment following the judgement.