A senior manager at the Student Loans Company has been sacked after more than £100,000 of equipment went missing due to negligence.

Ruth Porter failed to carry out proper checks on laptops and other assets for several years – despite warnings that equipment was at risk.

Several laptops were stolen at SLC’s Darlington office in 2014, while further IT equipment was stolen at the head office in Glasgow in 2018.

A number of investigations and reports highlighted problems with recording and keeping track of equipment, but despite this, Ms Porter, asset and configuration manager for the government-owned body, failed to act.

Following her dismissal, she raised a claim for unfair dismissal at an employment tribunal, claiming she had been made a “scapegoat” by SLC.

However, the tribunal found that the organisation acted fairly in finding her guilty of gross misconduct.

In a judgment on the case, employment judge Shona MacLean said: “The respondent is a publicly funded organisation.

“The loss of significant assets bought with public funds is a serious matter for it.”

The judge added: “The tribunal considered that [SLC] had carried out a reasonable investigation and had reasonable grounds for forming the belief that the claimant knew that there were weaknesses in the process for asset management; she had failed to develop processes and procedures for asset management or escalate the issue to management.”

The tribunal heard that the issue with missing equipment first came to light in November 2014, when several laptops went missing from SLC’s office in Darlington.

A report was drawn up suggesting that annual stock checks should be carried out and Ms Porter agreed to this.

In October 2017, an external company was drafted in at “significant cost” to further assess the issue and also highlighted discrepancies between the assets listed and those physically in the business.

The lack of systems for keeping track of equipment was highlighted again the following year, while SLC also became aware of the alleged theft of several laptops from the Glasgow office in September that year.

The tribunal heard that Ms Porter, who was based at the Glasgow office, failed to take action despite all of the warnings.

An investigation into the Glasgow theft found that the organisation’s asset management was inadequate and “may have contributed to the thefts being perpetrated”

There were also issues with ensuring equipment was handed back when staff left SLC.

The investigation looked at one department over a twelve month period and found that items with a value of more than £100,000 were unaccounted for.

Ms Porter tried to claim that a lack of resources prevented her from undertaking the task of auditing equipment, however, the tribunal found that she did not raise these concerns with more senior managers.

It is understood a further member of staff was dismissed by SLC in connection with the theft in Glasgow.

A spokeswoman for the Student Loans Company said: “Following the historic events referenced in this case, the Government’s Internal Audit Agency (GIAA) were invited to complete a comprehensive investigation and review of SLC’s IT asset controls.

“As a result of this investigation, SLC implemented rigorous new processes and procedures to overhaul the management and distribution of all IT equipment to staff.

“To ensure on-going compliance these processes and procedures are subject to regular internal audit.”

Solicitor David Hutchison, of Dallas McMillan solicitors, who represented Ms Porter, said she is “bitterly disappointed” with the decision.

He added: “She does however feel vindicated that at no point throughout the entire process was there a suggestion that she was involved in the theft of any items, or that she personally gained in any way.

“The claimant worked with the organisation since 1996 with a clean record and she was scored highly in reviews by superiors.

“The claimant’s dismissal was as a result of procedural and system failures within the organisation.”