Two high-paid construction executives who oversaw a major project that plummeted to a loss of £4 million have won an unfair dismissal case after their furious boss asked if they had been 'tickling each other's b*****ks'.
Donal Coppinger and John McInerney were sacked on the spot by angry Jason Carey when they revealed the costs for their major project had sky-rocketed, a tribunal heard.
CEO Mr Carey believed the project was on course to make £3.3 million - but in fact the numbers showed a £7 million 'swing' and there was an expected loss of £4 million.
Civil engineering boss Mr Carey 'lost his temper' when he was told the news during a meeting and asked the pair of senior executives: 'What have you two been doing for the last 12 months? Tickling each other's b*****ks?'
Mr Coppinger and Mr McInerney - who earned £120,000 and £145,000 respectively at the construction firm - were then told to 'get out of my sight and leave today'.
