Former Dore employee Sue Foss is claiming disability discrimination and sexual harassment at an industrial tribunal.

Although based in London, she reported to her chief executive at the company's head office at Camden House, Warwick Road, Kenilworth.

The company specialises in helping children with learning difficulties so when she took on the role of a £30,000 a year sales manager she was confident her own disability would not be an issue.

The 46-year-old mother of two, whose hands have been severely disfigured by thalidomide, began working with the company in September last year. She was trained at the Kenilworth office and, within one month of being with the company, she was told she had to take part in a team-building bowling trip, even though her fingers can't fit in a bowling ball.

She said: "My CEO, who was also my bowling team captain when I was at Dore, had a very competitive nature. He wouldn't take losing as an option. I spoke prior to the evening to the line manager to be excused from bowling only to be told that, having just joined as management, I had to take part.

"To put it bluntly, my disability prevented me from lifting even the lightest bowling ball even without getting my fingers in the holes and putting it onto a cradle to roll it as a five-year-old might do at a child's party.

"In the end I developed a technique of trying to hold the ball with an open leg stance making a complete fool of myself but my inability drew more criticisms about being useless."

She continued to face ridicule and at the end of the evening she was awarded with a certificate bearing the title Megaflop for knocking down the lowest number of pins.

She added: "If I get into difficult situations one of my main defence mechanisms is to act the fool and make light of the obvious embarrassment. Deep down I increasingly felt offended by the repeated 'laddish' culture that pervaded the organisation from top to bottom."

Sue also told the tribunal she was subjected to comments about her chest size with sexual innuendos over a 12-month period.

She said: "I am now on a high daily dose of anti depressants and I have lost all my self confidence, self esteem and belief in myself."

Giving evidence on behalf of Dore, financial director Julie Roy said she had been asked to investigate the allegations, but could not find any evidence to support them.

The tribunal continues.