Ex-nanny loses claim against Mills

Sara Trumble, 26, claimed Ms Mills reduced her to tears with the demands she placed on her and forced her to work long hours without any extra pay

The nanny, who was paid 260 a week by Mills to look after her daughter Beatrice, now six, told an employment tribunal she felt she was a hard-working and loyal employee but in return her former boss took advantage of her.

Ms Trumble, who began working for Mills in April 2004 when she was still married to Sir Paul McCartney, said she handed in her notice in September 2008 after she was relegated to domestic duties after returning from maternity leave.

The three-day hearing at Ashford Employment Tribunal Centre in Kent, which began at the end of March, saw Ms Trumble claim compensation for sex and maternity discrimination, plus constructive dismissal.

However tribunal judge Steven Vowles dismissed the claims in the judgment, which was reserved until yesterday.

During her own evidence Ms Mills said she treated Ms Trumble "like a daughter" and showered her with gifts during her employment, including a two-seater sports car.

Ms Mills claimed she and the young nanny were "very close" but their relationship turned sour when she refused to give her 4,000 for breast enlargement surgery in the spring of 2008.

She denied Ms Trumble's claims that she relegated her to carrying out household chores after she returned from maternity leave, and said she only arranged new childcare for Beatrice after she had handed in her notice.

A spokeswoman for Ms Mills said she was "delighted" with the result.

She said in a statement: "Heather was always a very fair and generous employer to Sara and is very pleased that this has been confirmed by Judge Vowles and the tribunal members unanimously in the judgment."

The judgment stated it "did not find the claimant to be a persuasive witness" and "made substantial changes to her evidence when cross-examined and was generally unsure about dates and the sequence of events".

However it added that it had found Mills's witnesses – personal trainer Ben Amigoni, staff manager Ruth Matthews, personal assistant Sonya Webb and sister Fiona – to be "more persuasive" in their testimonies.

During the tribunal Ms Trumble complained that Mills often made her feel uncomfortable by getting her to lie to Sir Paul when he came to pick up or drop off Beatrice following their divorce.

But the judgment stated that although Ms Trumble might have felt awkward at these times, "it was not surprising" Mills "wanted to ensure the handover of Beatrice was conducted as quickly and smoothly as possible with the minimum of upset to all concerned".

It also found Ms Trumble's claims that Ms Mills made her feel uncomfortable by asking her to report back to her about her new boyfriend, Jamie Walker, was actually in keeping with the nanny and Ms Mills's "close personal relationship".