Staff stings Sting

Sting and Mrs. Sting have lost a case brought by their former cook who claimed they'd discriminated against her after she became pregnant. An employment tribunal described the way Sting and his wife treated Jane Martin as "shameful":

Ms Martin claimed to the tribunal that things started to go wrong when she became pregnant in 2005. She said Miss Styler had lost her temper with her when she took time off work. The couple's management company, Lake House Estate, which employed Miss Martin, then said she would be made redundant and she left her job in April last year but the tribunal panel said Miss Styler was behind the dismissal.

We love the idea that she was told she was being made redundant - "yeah, we're going to cook our own food from now on".

Naturally, Sting and Trudie have expressed "astonishment" at the decision. Tribes in the Rain Forest are expected to be telegraphing support to the oppressed millionaires sometime this afternoon.