A factory worker who was fired while off with stress following the deaths of three of his friends has been given £30,000 compensation after a tribunal ruled his dismissal "egregiously unfair".

Stan Reid, 41, was left bereft after his best friend's 18-year-old son died after falling from cliffs in Arbroath.

At a vigil held for the teenager a few days later, two of his friends were stabbed to death.

Mr Reid, who had coordinated a search for Ralph after he went missing from the Angus town, was signed off work for seven days.

During his time off he was convinced to go to a gin festival in Glasgow to take his mind off the incidents.

A photo of him at the event was posted on Facebook and was seen by his managers at Dundee's Michelin tyre factory, where he worked as a production operative.

Lawyers for the firm said "one would surmise they were fit enough to attend work" if a supposedly sick worker was at a social event while off.

But Mr Reid's solicitor told a three-day employment tribunal in Dundee that "this is not a chancer pulling a sickie - this is far from it."

Mr Reid won his unfair dismissal case and has been given £29,485.45 in compensation.

In a rare move, the tribunal judge is considering imposing a £5000 fine on Michelin over their handling of the case.

Speaking after the judgement was released, Mr Reid said: "I was essentially bullied out of my job instead of being given the help I needed.

"They had tunnel vision and had already decided why I was in Glasgow. They made me feel worse rather than look after me."

In a written judgement, Judge Peter Wallington QC said: "None of those involved in the respondent's decision taking process appears to have engaged seriously with the circumstances leading to the claimant's absence from work or his explanation for going to a gin festival, or for the Facebook postings.

"Indeed, his attempts to explain appear to have been used against him, unjustifiably, as reasons for finding that he lacked insight into the seriousness of his conduct and showed no remorse."

The report added that Mr Reid was subjected to "hostile questioning" from the start and labelled the actions of bosses as "remarkably insensitive" and a "flagrant disregard" for fairness.