MoD settles dispute with female chef banned from Royal Marines

A former Army chef who sued the Ministry of Defence (MoD) after she was banned from cooking for the Royal Marines has settled her case out of court.

Angela Sirdar took the MoD to industrial tribunal in 1995 after she was told she could not apply for a job with the Royal Marines General Service Chefs branch.

She previously served as a chef with the Royal Artillery, but was made redundant in 1994 together with several hundred other army chefs.

Along with other redundant chefs, she was then invited to apply for a chef's job with the Royal Marines.

But when the MoD realised she was a woman, it withdrew the job offer.

The MoD's policy is that military units whose primary purpose is to kill the enemy should recruit only men. Anyone serving in the General Service Royal Marines must be available to fight as a commando.

The MoD said that it was confident that its conduct in withdrawing the job opportunity was not illegal.

But it recognised that the episode must have caused Sirdar distress and has paid her £2,000 "as a token of its regret". It did not admit liability.

The Army is reviewing its policy.