Briton sues ex-boss for parading him with thief sign

LONDON - A Briton who was marched to a police station with a sign around his neck saying he was a thief has sued his former employer for the “distress” he suffered.

Mark Gilbert, 41, said his former employer Simon Cremer humiliated him by parading him through the streets of Witham, Essex, and is now claiming 90,000 pounds for the distress he suffered.

Cremer, 46, who runs a floor fitting firm, found Gilbert had written out a cheque to himself for 845 pounds and encashed it in October 2008.

Gilbert later admitted doing it, claiming he was owed wages and that his boss was too busy to write it himself.

Around Gilbert’s neck was a home-made cardboard sign, saying “Thief - I stole £845″. It also said “am on my way to the police station”, the Daily Express reported Friday.

He was, however, released with just a caution for theft while Cremer was charged with false imprisonment. Gilbert later sued him for an estimated 90,000 pounds for two years of lost earnings.

“He has put in a civil claim for the trauma, distress and psychological help he needed. He’s claiming he has not been able to work for the last two years because of the trauma and distress he has suffered,” Cremer said.

“I don’t think it is right you steal from someone and then sue them. That is not justice. It adds insult to injury.”