Guiseley pram company Silver Cross, which dismissed an employee on the day she handed in her notice, has been found guilty of breach of contract.

Heather Hirst, 34, took Silver Cross to an employment tribunal for unpaid wages. And at the tribunal yesterday Mrs Hirst, an administration officer, said she had been "bemused" when told to hand over cash to the firm before she left.

Mrs Hirst, of Gilbeck Drive, Otley, was awarded a total of £638.44. After the case she said justice had been done.

Mrs Hirst told the tibunal: "I handed in my letter of resignation to my manager, Lisa Ratcliffe, who said nothing but went away to a private room. Twenty minutes later she called me into the room. She asked me when I wanted to leave. In the letter I put that I was awaiting confirmation of a leaving date so I said, 'Whenever.' She said, 'You might as well leave today then'."

Mrs Hirst said she was even more shocked to hear Miss Ratcliffe say that a calculation would be done to work out how much she owed the company.

"I was a bit shocked to hear that I owed money, but because they were my bosses I believed them," said Mrs Hirst. She cleared her desk and handed over a cheque for about £150 which, she was told, was her pay until the end of the month. After speaking with her parents she realised she should have been allowed to work her notice.

Tribunal chairman David Sneaton said the award would come from the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry because Silver Cross had gone into receivership.