A former Zara worker has claimed she was falsely accused of theft at the fashion giant’s Dundee store because she is transgender.

Robyn Brindley was a sales assistant with the retailer and claims she was bullied and targeted by the store manager due to her background.

The 26-year-old, from Dundee, believes manager Pauline Russell treated her differently to other women working in the shop, which led to her suffering stress and anxiety while she was transitioning.

She has now taken her case to an employment tribunal claiming transsexual discrimination and victimisation.

Ms Russell told the tribunal there is “absolutely no truth” in the claims.

However, Ms Brindley said: “I personally believe that she does not like me, probably even hates me, and that she disliked me and bullied me because I am transgender.

“I have never felt that she treated me as an equal or even as a female.”

She added: “I know the things she did to me, she did only to me. She did not seem to pick on the other girls the way she picked on me.”

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The tribunal heard that Ms Brindley began working at the Dundee store, which has since closed, in 2015.

Ms Russell took over as store manager the following year and Ms Brindley claims she began to suffer problems at work soon after.

The sales assistant said her manager was aggressive, rude and harsh towards her and that the work she did was never good enough. She claims she did not behave like this with other members of staff.

She said that when she went home from work, her family were concerned for her mental health due to the impact it had on her.

She told the hearing: “I had decided many years ago that I was transgender and confided in my family about this and that I would eventually transition, which I did. Pauline Russell bullying me obviously added to the stress of my transitioning.

“I had numerous appointments with my doctors over the past three years, independent of my transitioning and surgeries, regarding stress, anxiety and depression because of the bullying.”

Things came to a head last summer when Ms Brindley was awarded a new contract with increased hours.

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Shortly after this, she was clearing out the perfume section and claims she put an empty bottle of aftershave in her pocket as she had too many to carry back to the stockroom.

She told the tribunal that she got caught up in other work and forgot about the empty bottle until home time. As she was leaving the building, it was picked up by the security system.

Ms Russell witnessed what happened and suspended Ms Brindley on suspicion of theft.

Ms Brindley said: “It was a genuine misunderstanding and accident that I had forgot it was in my shirt pocket. I had worked for this company for five years, I knew how the security system worked and I would know better than to take a £5.99 empty tester bottle of men’s aftershave.

“If this was to happen to any other member of staff it would be accepted as a genuine mistake. I believe that Pauline Russell falsely accused me of theft and has discriminated against and bullied me because I am transgender.”

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While she was suspended, Ms Brindley raised a grievance against Ms Russell, however the grievance did not uphold any allegations of bullying or discrimination in relation to the worker’s gender reassignment.

Ms Russell told the tribunal that the pair had been friendly with each other and the company was supportive of Ms Brindley during her surgical procedures, allowing her time off.

The manager also claimed that she personally messaged her to see how she was feeling and sent her flowers.

However, she said that Ms Brindley’s mood could often change and she did not always follow company rules which resulted in her receiving written warnings.

She added: “I treated her like everyone else. When she raised the grievance I was really shocked and upset, it seemed to come out of the blue.”

She said it now seemed “no coincidence” that the discrimination allegation only came up after the theft incident.

A decision in the case will be published in due course.