A journalist who took the BBC to a tribunal over discrimination claims had her case dismissed after she was seen speaking to a weekly newspaper reporter during the hearing.

Sally Chidzoy, left, who works for the Look East regional news programme, brought an employment tribunal against the BBC over claims she had been victimised, harassed and sexually discriminated against after raising concerns about the corporation’s editorial independence.

But the judge presiding over the hearing struck out her case after she was seen speaking to Cambs Times reporter Sarah Cliss during a break in proceedings.

Sally had been giving evidence at the time of the break and was still under oath, although there was no suggestion that Sarah, who was covering the case for the Times’ Archant sister title the Eastern Daily Press, was aware of this at the time.

Sally said her discussion with Sarah, who she had ‘known for years” was no more than the exchanging of pleasantries.

But she had been overheard by the BBC’s barrister using the word “Rottweiler” in the conversation – a word which presiding judge Michael Ord said was relevant as it was linked to Sally’s evidence.

Part of Sally’s case against the corporation was an email from a BBC manager circulated to other staff suggesting she should cover a story about the Dangerous Dogs Act and describing her as “Sally Shitsu.”

In a written judgement, Judge Ord said it “stretches the bounds of credulity to believe” that Sally had not been speaking about the case.

He concluded: “It is the fatal damage to our trust in the claimant and the way the case is conducted on her behalf that has led us to the unanimous conclusion that it was not possible for a fair trial of any of the issues in this case to take place.

“Accordingly the claimant has been guilty of unreasonable conduct and this tribunal considers that it is no longer possible to have a fair hearing in respect of her claim. For those reasons the claimant’s claim is struck out.”