A COUNCIL worker sacked for punching a colleague during a heated union meeting has won his job back.

Performance management officer Bruce Matthews was dismissed by North Wiltshire District Council after a disciplinary hearing in April.

He was sacked for assaulting principal planning officer Lachlan Robertson during a Unison meeting at the council's Monkton Park offices in Chippenham.

Mr Matthews appealed against the decision and has now been been given his job back. A council spokesman confirmed that Mr Matthews has been re-instated.

He said: "This is an internal matter and it has been dealt with internally."

Mr Matthews was called before a disciplinary hearing where he represented himself, choosing not to be represented by his union, Unison.

He later successfully appealed against the hearing's decision that he be dismissed.

The incident happened during a meeting of three Unison members which had been called to thrash out a problem.

Mr Matthews, the union's secretary of administration, and Mr Robertson, the union's secretary of service conditions, were at the meeting.

There was a row and a scuffle broke out between Mr Matthews and Mr Robertson.

It is understood Mr Robertson was hit in the face and his glasses were broken.

A formal complaint was made and Mr Matthews was suspended.

Mr Matthews was unavailable for comment.