Today's announcement that Elizabeth Mitchell has won £10,000 compensation from her former employer is a victory for the so-called Whistle Blowers' Charter.

The former finance officer at Oakbank School, Keighley, was one of the first people in the country to use the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998 - dubbed the Whistle Blowers' Charter - to raise her concerns about financial irregularities at the school.

She was forced to resign after her actions resulted in a police and Government investigation and, although she now earns less in her new job, is happy that her professional integrity is in tact.

It takes courage for someone to speak out about something which they know could put their livelihood at risk and Mrs Mitchell deserves praise for standing up for what she believed in.

She has made a settlement with the school in the full knowledge that had she taken her case to a hearing, she could have won far more than £10,000.

However, she took the decision not to push the case to that stage because she was fully aware that the school did not have insurance to protect it against such an action and she did not want to disadvantage pupils by taking money directly from the school.

Regardless of her cash settlement, Mrs Mitchell has won a point of principle. She has also won a victory for people everywhere who feel they should be able to blow the whistle on what they perceive to be wrongdoings without risking punishment or losing their job.

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