A REUNION has been held for the Accrington and Rossendale College lecturers who were controversially sacked last year.

The event took place at the Miner's Arms in Accrington on September 13 and was open to anyone who supported the lecturers during their plight.

Pat Walsh, who alleged he was unfairly dismissed - and received a £27,000 private settlement from the college earlier this year - said: "This was a chance for us to get together and say goodbye properly. The event was not just aimed at former lecturers but also ex-students and local supporters who helped us through our cause."

Lecturer Annette Malpass who alleged she was unfairly dismissed by the college has received a £7,700 out of court settlement.

The Association of Teachers and Lecturers represented Mrs Malpass, a senior lecturer in business management at the college. She was due to go before an industrial tribunal where she would have argued that the college's procedure for selecting her for redundancy was unfair.

The college 'strenuously' denied her allegation but said that in view of the costs involved in time and legal advice, it was in the interest of the college that the case be settled out of court.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.