On 20 July, an employment tribunal awarded a Stockport fire fighter £80,000 after ruling that his dismissal violated his right to freedom of expression. Christopher Bennett, who suffers arthritis, was dismissed for gross misconduct in 2008 after circulating an email to colleagues asking if they found new office chairs uncomfortable. In 2006, Greater Manchester Fire Service replaced beds used by night shift workers with £400 recliner chairs. Bennett claimed the new chairs worsened his condition. The tribunal held that the dismissal violated Bennett’s right to freedom of expression under the Human Rights Act.