A former Zara worker who claimed she was falsely accused of theft because she is transgender has lost her case for discrimination and victimisation.

Robyn Brindley was a sales assistant at the fashion giant’s Dundee store and claimed she was bullied and targeted by the store manager due to her background.

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

However, an employment tribunal has now found that the manager in fact dealt with her that way due to her being difficult and behaving inappropriately at work.

In a written judgment, employment judge Alexander Kemp said: “The tribunal did not consider that the claimant had provided sufficient evidence of primary facts from which the inference of direct discrimination because of the protected characteristic of being a transgender woman could properly be made.”

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

She felt that store manager Pauline Russell was aggressive, rude and harsh towards her.

Last summer, the worker was clearing out perfumes and put an empty bottle in her pocket as she had too many to carry. She forgot about it and as she was leaving the building, it was picked up by the security system. Ms Russell sent her home and she was later suspended.

The tribunal accepted that Ms Brindley was not guilty of theft, but found that the way Ms Russell dealt with it was not discrimination.

Judge Kemp added: “Putting it very simply, Ms Russell was managing an employee who... could on occasion cause a difficulty by what she did, not being where she should be when she should be, or not acting in an appropriate manner, in all of which circumstances Ms Russell sought to correct the behaviours.”