Yorkshire say they may have sacked staff unfairly

Yorkshire have admitted that unfair dismissal complaints by staff sacked in the wake of the club’s racism scandal are “well founded” and now face paying compensation.

The county agreed their former coaches’ legal action against them at Leeds Employment Tribunal had merit in a consent judgment issued just over two weeks ago and published yesterday.

The judgment was issued on the day Telegraph Sport disclosed sacked staff had been made “derisory” offers to settle their legal battle with their former employer.

Yorkshire’s admission means they will almost certainly have to pay tens of thousands of pounds in compensation to the six former members of their coaching team who brought the claim.

However, the legal battle was poised to continue over other complaints that could cost the club mil-her lions of pounds, with the consent order stating: “Remedy and any other complaints proceed to hearing unless otherwise resolved.”

Telegraph Sport was told last month that Yorkshire had asked the six complainants to sign deals starting at as little as £2,000. The figures said to be involved were branded “derisory” by one source, with two other sacked staff members having settled for a combined £500,000£750,000.

Azeem Rafiq gave harrowing testimony at Parliament in November about the racism he suffered at the county. The following month, Yorkshire’s entire 16-strong coaching team were sacked, having written to their bosses in October bitterly complaining about the county’s failure to stand up to Rafiq’s “one-man mission to bring down the club”.

A private preliminary hearing was held on May 6 into the cases brought by coaches Andrew Gale, Richard Pyrah, Ian Fisher, Peter Sim, Ian Dews and Richard Damms.