A golfer was sacked from a country club after being wrongly accused of telling a junior female colleague 'you smell so good I could lick you all over'.

Mark Sturgess was fired from his job at the exclusive club after he was alleged to have made 'unwanted advances of a sexual nature' to front-of-house Amanda Clark.

Mr Sturgess - a PGA-accredited golf professional - was reported by Ms Clark, claiming he told her in the club shop that she smelt so good he could 'lick you all over'.

He was hauled to a disciplinary hearing where he also faced allegations that he messaged Ms Clark inappropriately at 11pm and joked that a colleague looked like

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Now, a tribunal has ruled he was sacked unfairly after finding he did not actually make the 'lick you' comment or the remark about sex predator Savile.

Mark Sturgess (pictured) was unfairly sacked from his job at a golf club, an employment judge has ruled

Mr Sturgess is in line to receive compensation from Country Club after suing them for unfair and wrongful dismissal.

However, it will be reduced as the tribunal ruled he acted inappropriately by messaging Ms Clark late at night asking her 'how do you manage to look so good everyday?'

Mr Sturgess, a golf pro of 28 years, started working at Cambridge Country Club in May 2010.

The country club, on the outskirts of Cambridge by the village of Bourn, boasts an 18-hole course in the rolling countryside, a swimming pool, gym, and 'state of the art' spa.

As golf professional at the club, Mr Sturgess taught lessons, ran the golf shop, and repaired equipment.

In April 2022 Ms Clark, who is married, submitted a grievance that in the shop and in front of colleagues Mr Sturgess told her: 'You smell so good I could lick you all over.'

She also claimed he was 'rude and unhelpful' at work.

It was heard that Mr Sturgess sent her a text at 10.

58pm asking 'I have a question How do you manage to look so good everyday'.

During an investigation, it was also alleged he compared a co-worker at the club to Savile during a conversation with others at the bar.

He was suspended in May 2022.

He denied making the 'lick you' comment, denied making the Savile comparison, and said there was 'nothing' in the messages he sent to Ms Clark.

A report said: 'He went on to say that he felt the complaint from Ms Clark was due to a clash of personalities 'business wise' and to a breakdown in their working relationship after Ms Clark was promoted, in relation to her trying to take charge in the shop and with the golf societies.

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The golfer was fired from his job at Cambridge Country Club after the accusation, but an employment judge said there were 'inconsistencies and contradictions' in the investigation into the claims against him

General manager David Macdonald headed up the disciplinary hearing and sacked Mr Sturgess in June 2022.

Mr Sturgess was found to have made 'unwanted advances of a sexual nature to fellow employees' in relation to the 'lick you' comment, made 'unwanted statements' in relation to the Savile comment, and to have inappropriately messaged Ms Clark.

However, Employment Judge Kerrie Hunt, sitting in Watford, said there was a number of 'inconsistencies and contradictions' in Mr Macdonald's investigation.

Mr Macdonald did not bother to interview further witnesses for the Savile incident or the 'lick you' comment, nor question Ms Clark further.

'I am not persuaded on the basis of the evidence from the investigation and before me in the tribunal and do not find that Mr Sturgess made the comment alleged in the pro golf shop to Ms Clark', Judge Hunt said.

'I am also not persuaded on the evidence heard and do not find that he made a comment referring to [the other staff member] as resembling Jimmy Savile.

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The judge added: 'I conclude that the club did not carry out a reasonable and sufficient investigation.

'The allegations were categorised as gross misconduct with serious consequences for Mr Sturgess.

'There were some basic yet fundamental details of the allegations against Mr Sturgess that [Mr Macdonald] did not make enquiries about or further investigate the details, including the time and date and potential witnesses of the 'lick you' comment.

'I consider that the decision to dismiss was not a fair sanction within the range of reasonable responses that a reasonable the employer would take.'

The judge ruled that Mr Sturgess did message Ms Clark which was inappropriate.

'I find that his explanation that he meant no innuendo and was referencing that she was well turned out and smart at work did not mitigate or excuse his conduct in sending a private message late at night.

'I further find that his inability or unwillingness to accept or acknowledge that receiving such a message, notwithstanding his intention, from a senior colleague late at night whilst at home, may be inappropriate and make Ms Clark feel uncomfortable, exacerbates the offence.'

The judge said a final written warning would have been more appropriate.

Mr Sturgess' compensation will be determined at a later date, however it will be reduced by 40 per cent due to his conduct over the message.