A whistleblower's claim against nuclear organisations in Cumbria is to be heard in full - a judge has decided.

Alison McDermott alleged that Sellafield Ltd, the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) and Heather Roberts, former HR director at Sellafield, terminated her contract at the nuclear plant in 2018 to silence her concerns about bullying.

Last month, Employment Judge Marion Batten, sitting at the Manchester tribunal, heard an application from Mrs McDermott to strike-out responses from the nuclear organisations and Ms Roberts, on the grounds they hadn't complied with tribunal orders of disclosure and that there was no reasonable prospect of success.

If a strike-out order is successful, a remedy hearing is held instead of a full one.

But Judge Batten said there was a "a significant core of disputed facts in this case, and a number of matters that will require oral evidence."

In a decision published this week, she said: "The tribunal considered that the claimant's [Mrs McDermott’s] claims of detriment for whistleblowing and victimisation for allegations of discrimination should proceed to a final hearing together with the responses which shall not be struck out.

"A fair trial is still possible. The tribunal will need to investigate why the respondents acted as they did at the relevant time, at a fully contested final hearing.

"Given the core of disputed facts between the parties, the tribunal considers it is not appropriate to deprive the respondents of the opportunity to defend this claim."

Documents from last month's hearing show that Mrs McDermott had been working as an HR consultant for Sellafield.

Mrs McDermott said her remit was equality, diversity and inclusion, and she was tasked to address the work culture at the nuclear firm following an allegation of sexual harassment against a senior manager.

In September 2018, Mrs McDermott was asked to conduct a review of Sellafield’s HR department, but she claims Sellafield Ltd and the NDA failed to act when she passed on concerns which staff had raised with her.

An anonymous letter sent on October 9 to senior HR managers, which court papers say was "ostensibly written by HR staff", reflected Mrs McDermott's concerns.

On October 16, Mrs McDermott submitted a draft of her report and shortly afterwards Sellafield’s HR team met to discuss the report.

Court documents say Mrs McDermott "advised that an investigation to address sexual harassment should be undertaken; that [Sellafield's] 'Safe Call' policy was not being followed; and that HR management was conflicted in respect of complaints by its staff."

Mrs McDermott also alleges that Ms Roberts "acted to suppress" her report.

Sellafield said it had undertaken a review of its spending for consultancy and that a decision was made that Mrs McDermott was not providing value for money.

When she returned to work from annual leave on October 29, 2018, she was informed her contract would be terminated the following month.