A company owned by Sting and his wife, Trudie Styler, were guilty of “shameful conduct” in sacking their pregnant chef, an employment tribunal has reportedly ruled.

Jane Martin cooked for Sting and his family at their 800-acre Lake House estate near Salisbury, catering for celebrity guests such as Madonna, Sir Elton John and Bob Geldof.

But in a finding due to be made public today, a tribunal ruled that Miss Martin had been unfairly dismissed because she was pregnant and had been the victim of unlawful sexual discrimination.

Sting and Miss Styler, referred to by the tribunal as Mr and Mrs Sumner, Sting’s real name, will now face a compensation claim.

In March the tribunal was told how Miss Martin, 41, would travel frequently between the couple’s mansion in Wiltshire and their home in London to prepare meals for the couple’s children, even though the London household was staffed by two nannies, two housekeepers and a butler. However, when Miss Martin became pregnant, she said that her employer’s attitude changed. It was claimed that Miss Styler flew into a rage when Miss Martin was forced to take time off work with a stomach complaint, months into her pregnancy.

Miss Styler allegedly said: “She’s my chef in the UK. She needs to be available if I need her, or she should rethink her position.”

Miss Martin was later told that she and another chef were being judged under a points system to decide who would be made redundant. Miss Martin came second and was removed from her £28,000 role in April last year.

The tribunal concluded that the points system had been designed so that Miss Martin would finish second, the Daily Mail reported.

According to the ruling, Miss Styler attempted to remove herself from the points process by using “minions”.

It states: “[The departure] was so badly mishandled and conducted in such an incompetent manner that the true purpose shines through the subterfuge . . . Although Mrs Summer tried to distance herself from the various unlawful acts and have them carried out by minions on her behalf, when the evidence is looked at holistically, her involvement is clear.

“She is without doubt the driving force manipulating others to perform her ‘dirty work’. The position is aggravated by her lack of courage either to face the claimant direct and inform her she was no longer required or attend the tribunal to give evidence and have her machinations exposed.”

Miss Styler last night told the Daily Mail: “I am devastated by this decision and I will appeal. For Jane Martin to suggest that I, as a mother, discriminated against her because she was pregnant is risible to anyone who knows me.

“I wholly reject the tribunal’s findings on this issue. Sting and I have been lucky over many years to have worked with loyal and long-serving colleagues and staff.

“Their collective loyalty and long service suggests that the picture of our household which Jane painted, and which the tribunal appears to have accepted, is a travesty.”

The issue of compensation will be dealt with at a further hearing on June 8.

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