THE Salisbury father of an army major involved in a sexual discrimination case said he was relieved with the outcome of an employment tribunal that found his son did not force a junior colleague into an affair.

Former diocesan secretary Lieutenant Colonel Christopher Ross said his family was trying to move forward after the graphic details of his 40-year-old son Alastair's torrid relationship with Warrant Officer Angela McConnell were made public.

The tribunal in Southampton also rejected Mrs McConnell's claims she had been unfairly demoted after army bosses learned of the affair - which started in the medal room of a Tidworth mess - and found Major Ross did not harass the 41-year-old because she "welcomed" his attention.

Speaking to the Journal after last Wednesday's decision, Lt Col Ross, of Quidhampton, said: "This is the best possible outcome for my son, the army and the MoD.

"It has been a very difficult time - of course, I am relieved. We now want to put it behind us."

Married Alastair Ross, who was one of the youngest captains to receive the Regimental Medal and who was tipped to be the next commanding officer of elite cavalry regiment The King's Royal Hussars, was removed from his post after the affair and is now facing the sack from the armed services. He told the tribunal his removal was "absolutely mortifying" and the "ultimate humiliation".

His father had served in the same regiment before taking up the senior role of secretary for the Salisbury diocese, which he held until his retirement in 1996.

Maj Ross confessed to being a womaniser and having several extra-marital affairs, although he described Mrs McConnell as "an equally highly sexed female version of himself".

Over the past three weeks, tribunal chairman Michael Kolanko heard lengthy, lurid and salacious details of their sexual relationship, which came to the attention of their army superiors when Mrs McConnell's fireman husband, George (38), bugged her car and recorded a meeting of the couple in 2002.

A disciplinary panel recommended that Mrs McConnell, of West Lulworth, Dorset, be demoted to corporal, and the mother-of-two launched a hotly disputed claim for sexual discrimination against the ministry of defence.

She also claimed Maj Ross had pestered her into having an affair, although the tribunal heard Mrs McConnell had had several other relationships while she worked at the base, including a lesbian fling with another warrant officer in 1986.

Mr Kolanko said the tribunal's work had been difficult because both Maj Ross and Mrs McConnell were "accomplished in lying and deceiving".

"We are satisfied that the attentions of Major Ross were welcomed by Mrs McConnell," he said.

"We are satisfied that there was no coercion on the part of Major Ross when this relationship commenced.

"Both have not considered, in the context of the army's values and standards, their marriage vows as an impediment to extra-marital relationships."

Lt Col Ross would not comment on his son's reaction to the outcome but said it was now "a matter for Alastair and his wife".

Maj Ross, who has two children and formerly lived in Great Wishford, had been granted anonymity until the end of the hearing because of the sexual nature of the allegations.