A man fired for ‘excessive and repugnant’ flatulence is bringing an unfair dismissal case against his former employers.
Philip Mason, 48, of Morpeth in Northumberland, claims his bodily emissions were a direct result of consuming poor food at the office canteen, and therefore beyond his control.
But in a premilinary hearing today journalists heard a chilling audio tape that Mason’s ex-bosses at stationery supplier Coulson & Son described as ‘sickening’.
It is claimed the tape – which thanks to a legal challenge The News Grind can exclusively air – captures the moment Mr Mason rendered a colleague unconscious with a trouser-tearing fart.
“We were in the week ahead meeting and he just let rip,” recalls one of Mason’s former colleagues.
“The first time was forgiveable, but then workers began to complain that they couldn’t work for coughing and retching.
“It was always after lunch when it was worst. You could taste it in the air, physically feel it as you swallowed after stepping into that horrible fog.”
The problem has been on-going for several months, and before long a union representative was contacted by one of Mason’s co-workers. Their advice was to log every parp.
Eventually, after several unheeded warnings, Philip was sacked.
“The sub-standard canteen food had ruined my guts,” said Mason.
“I tried to do it silently, but that only seemed to make things worse. The quiet ones just seemed to seep into every corner and throttle people.”
Another ex-colleague, Janet Simpson, 32, said the whole office is relieved Philip has left the company.
“It’s not that I’m heartless. It’s just that he reeked.
“You’d sometimes hear a squeak and realise you’d caught the end of one. There would be a dash for the door and it would be chaos.
“Mind you, at least when the head honchos from central office turned up you could rely on Philip to get rid of them.”
Since Philip was relieved of his duties sickness rates have dropped by 90 per cent and a new lick of paint has restored the office’s browner walls to their original gleaming white.
The hearing continues.
