text: A married dentist forced his practice nurse to resign after she rejected his attempts to kiss her, a tribunal heard. Colin Cromie told Xara Grogan, 29, they should jet to Barcelona for a break and claimed they were both stuck with the wrong partner. But when she turned down his advances their working relationship soured and Mr Cromie, 49, became increasingly hostile and unfriendly. He would also snatch instruments from her in the surgery and be ‘abrupt and rude’ and blamed her for a fall-out with another dental practice. Married dentist Colin Cromie (left), 49, forced practice nurse Xara Grogan (right), 29, to resign after she rejected his attempts to kiss her, a tribunal heard . When Miss Grogan complained about having to wear a uniform, including culottes, Mr Cromie, a former major in the Royal Army Dental Corps, told her she would be ‘out on her ear’ if she joined a union, it was alleged. On another occasion as she was helping a dental technician to organise a quote for dentures, Mr Cromie shouted at her and told her she should ‘know her place’. And on a separate occasion Mr Cromie gave Miss Grogan a dressing-down for failing to set up the practice’s reception, when a colleague who arrived late went unpunished. Mr Cromie made life so unpleasant the nurse was later forced to quit the job she had held for more than five years. The tribunal found Miss Grogan was constructively dismissed by Mr Cromie and his conduct towards the nurse did amount to sex discrimination. But she failed in her bid to prove further allegations of harassment and victimisation against the dentist. She was awarded £16,500 compensation for the dismissal and ‘hurt feelings’ as well as back pay that she was owed. Workplace: Mr Cromie hired Miss Grogan to work at Petre Dental, pictured, in Lancashire . The hearing was told Miss Grogan had worked for Mr Cromie in two spells from 2008 in two separate practices he had set up. She had been in a relationship with Mr Cromie’s stepson, Paul Talbot, and the pair had lived with the dentist and his wife. But relations between the dentist and his nurse began to change when Mr Cromie began sharing ‘sexist’ jokes with her via text message and then offered to take her to Barcelona. He told Miss Grogan, who had been arguing with her partner, that they were each with the wrong partners and attempted to hug and kiss her. Miss Grogan (above) initially complained to the practice manager, Diane Talbot – Mr Cromie’s wife – and became frustrated when no action was taken . When she turned him down he became ‘increasingly hostile’, treating her to ‘extended silences and outbursts’, according to the tribunal’s official ruling. Miss Grogan complained to the practice manager, Diane Talbot – Mr Cromie’s wife – and became frustrated when no action was taken. She eventually resigned from her job as a nurse at the Petre Dental practice in Clay-le-Moors, Lancashire, and claimed unfair dismissal and sexual discrimination against the dentist. Mr Cromie denied trying to kiss the nurse but employment judge Katherine Ross said: ‘Mr Cromie absolutely denied the allegation. The claimant said it occurred. The tribunal finds that the incident occurred.’ The tribunal was told that shortly after the incident Miss Grogan was so shocked she told a fellow dental nurse, Louise Clail. In her ruling Judge Ross added: ‘Although there had been a high degree of familiarity between Mr Cromie and the claimant, based on her position in the extended family, their close working relationship and the sexual language which passed between them, attempting to kiss the claimant was an action which was physical and sexual.’ After the case Miss Grogan said on Facebook that the case had represented ‘a tough couple of years’ and she was looking forward to moving on. She added: ‘He will do it again I don’t doubt it. I would hope he treats the girls he works with now with a little more respect.’ Mr Cromie said Miss Grogan had only succeeded in ‘two out of six’ claims and this was reflected in her ‘modest’ pay-out.
target: Colin Cromie hired his stepson's girlfriend Xara Grogan as a dental nurse .
  He flirted with the 29-year-old, shared sexist jokes and tried to  kiss her .
  When she turned him down he became 'hostile' and forced her out of job .
  Miss Grogan  won claim for constructive dismissal and sexual harassment .