![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/SEI_316882740-2975.jpg\")
\n\t\tA bus driver took legal action after her fart prompted \u2018hygiene concerns\u2019 (Picture: The Big Lemon)<\/p>\n
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\n\t\tA bus driver took legal action after her fart prompted \u2018hygiene concerns\u2019 (Picture: The Big Lemon)<\/p>\n
A bus driver tried to sue her employer after being accused of a fart that smelt so foul it meant a colleague had to wash her uniform.<\/p>\n
Stephanie Bryan was behind the wheel for electric bus company The Big Lemon when she allegedly produced \u2018significant flatulence\u2019.<\/p>\n
An \u2018episode\u2019 ensued, a tribunal heard, with co-worker Samantha Bingham noticing the lingering odour when she started her shift and sat in the same seat, concluding that Ms Bryan had soiled herself.<\/p>\n
Upon returning home, Ms Bingham\u2019s partner also sensed a nasty stench and asked if she had defecated.<\/p>\n
Ms Bingham then felt compelled to wash her uniform and \u2018immediately\u2019 take a shower to remove the smell.<\/p>\n
When her colleague confronted her, Ms Bryan said in her defence, \u2018Everyone needs to fart and let out gases.\u2019<\/p>\n
\t\t![\"the](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/SEI_316882680-5abd.jpg\")
\n\t\tStephanie Bryan was on probation with The Big Lemon from September 2024 to January 2025 (Picture: The Big Lemon)<\/p>\n
The tribunal heard that Ms Bryan reacted \u2018negatively\u2019 to the accusations and displayed \u2018personal hostility\u2019, despite Ms Bingham being \u2018genuinely and reasonably concerned by the situation she found herself in\u2019.<\/p>\n
Ms Bingham reported the matter to her line manager, with personal hygiene concerns raised during Ms Bryan\u2019s employment review, which was conducted \u2018sensitively and appropriately in private\u2019.<\/p>\n
Ultimately, Ms Bryan was dismissed. She was on a three-month probation from September 2024, extended to January 2025 due to \u2018concerns regarding her performance\u2019, but she failed.<\/p>\n
Consequently, she took legal action against the bus operator for disability<\/a> discrimination and harassment.<\/p>\n She argued her employer had discriminated against her for having bladder issues.<\/p>\n However, the Bristol<\/a> Employment Tribunal rejected her claims.<\/p>\n An employment judge ruled that Ms Bryan\u2019s complaints were not related to her health<\/a>.<\/p>\n It was also found that Ms Bryan did not inform The Big Lemon bosses of her depression<\/a> or borderline personality disorder diagnoses, nor her existing bladder weakness.<\/p>\n \t\t As such, management had no idea these could contribute to hygiene problems.<\/p>\n Judge Jonathan Walters said: \u2018The odour was consistent with faecal matter potentially caused by significant flatulence which had led to soiling and was not associated with urine or urinary incontinence.\u2019<\/p>\n It was ruled that Ms Bingham had raised \u2018a genuine workplace concern\u2019, and there was \u2018absolutely no evidence before the tribunal that [she] had any knowledge of the claimed disabilities nor ought she reasonably to have known about them\u2019.<\/p>\n \u2018The actions of [Ms Bingham] were unrelated to disability and were not motivated by disability,\u2019 said Judge Walters.<\/p>\n \u2018She had attempted to address [her concerns] with [Ms Bryan], whose reaction was not conducive to resolution, and, therefore, she had no option but to raise the matter with management, as the situation which occurred was indeed detrimental both to her and to the business itself.\u2019<\/p>\n He added: \u2018The tribunal does not find that the dismissal arose because of any consequence of [Ms Bryan\u2019s] depression, borderline personality disorder or bladder weakness.\u2019<\/p>\n Instead, she was fired because of her poor driving standards, which led to her failing to \u2018satisfactorily complete her probationary period\u2019.<\/p>\n The Big Lemon said in a statement: \u2018We do not comment on individual members of staff but would like to thank Ms Bingham for her professionalism throughout this case, and thanks are also due to Judge Walters for the consideration he gave to what was quite a sensitive situation.\u2019<\/p>\n Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk<\/a>.<\/p>\n For more stories like this, check our news page<\/a>.<\/p>\n Arrow Arrow Arrow![\"the](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/SEI_316882683-3621.jpg\")
\n\t\tA tribunal dismissed Ms Bryan\u2019s complaints of discrimination and harassment (Picture: The Big Lemon)<\/p>\n
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