BORDER FORCE OFFICER LOSES UNFAIR DISMISSAL CASE OVER CAR DETOURS

An employment tribunal has rejected an unfair dismissal claim from a former Border Force officer sacked for using a company car to visit his dying father. Alexander Casteel had worked at Glasgow Airport since February 2019 before his dismissal for gross misconduct. Vehicle tracking technology recorded him making three unauthorised diversions totalling just over two hours and 80 miles. A tribunal judge has now dismissed his claim that the dismissal was unfair.

Two of the diversions, in July 2025, saw Mr Casteel drive 18 miles from Runcorn to Chester to visit his terminally ill father in a care home, while attending a training course in Cheshire. A third, in March 2025, lasted ten minutes and involved a stop at his daughter's house to drop off dog medication while he travelled from Glasgow to Birmingham. The diversions came to light in August 2025, when his line manager, Gary Ollerton, emailed asking him to explain "obscure locations" flagged by the vehicle's tracking system. Mr Casteel replied that the diversions were minor, saying his father had become incoherent and the visits were urgent. As a civil servant, he was subject to a policy stating that private use of fleet vehicles is "expressly prohibited".

A tribunal judge ruled that dismissing Mr Casteel for gross misconduct did not amount to unfair dismissal. Under the policy, unauthorised private use of a fleet vehicle invalidates insurance cover and can constitute a criminal offence without authorisation. Vehicle tracking technology was central to the case, having flagged the "obscure locations" that first prompted Mr Ollerton's inquiry. Mr Casteel had cited his father's terminal illness and the urgency of the visits in his defence. The ruling upholds his dismissal from Border Force.