Woman with prosthetic arm wins case against US retailer

A British woman with a prosthetic arm won her case for wrongful dismissal against US clothing store Abercrombie & Fitch yesterday, after she claimed she was harrassed because of her disability.

Riam Dean, a 22-year-old law graduate who was born with no left forearm, said she was forced to work in the store's stock room because she did not fit the company's strict "look" policy.

She resigned following the row, and during an employment hearing in central London accused company employees of "bullying" and "debasement".

The tribunal yesterday awarded her a total of £9,000 (€10,500) - £7,800 compensation for injury to her feelings, £1,077 for loss of earnings and £136 for wrongful dismissal.

However, the tribunal did not uphold her claim for disability discrimination against the clothing giant, a favourite with teenagers and customers in their twenties.

Dean says she was given permission to wear a cardigan to cover her arm when she was first hired in June 2008, before being told a few days later the garment did not comply with the firm's dress code.

She was told to work behind the scenes until the winter uniform which covered the arms arrived, she said.