'I treated nanny like a daughter,' claims Mills at tribunal

HEATHER Mills has insisted that she treated her former nanny "like a daughter".

At an employment tribunal brought by Sara Trumble, Ms Mills yesterday broke down in tears as she spoke of how upset she was over the nanny's departure.

Ms Trumble, 26, is seeking compensation from the former model on the grounds of sex discrimination and unfair dismissal, and claims she suffered changes to her employment terms following her maternity leave.

She told the hearing in Ashford, Kent, that Ms Mills had made the lives of all her staff a misery, but she was the only one prepared to speak out.

But Ms Mills said: "I treated Sara like my daughter, as she often complained that her mother was cold and distant to her.

"I spent much of my time consoling her, especially when she said she was having problems with her partner."

Ms Mills said after her nanny had her baby, "she asked me to be godmother to her daughter".

She went on: "She said it was because I had taken such good care of her and she could think of no-one better. I was delighted."

Ms Mills, the former wife of ex-Beatle Paul McCartney, said she gave Ms Trumble numerous gifts including 1,500 after she had some money stolen and also 500 for a deposit on a flat when she wanted to move out of her parents' home.

She insisted she had been very accommodating when Ms Trumble wanted to work only part-time after having the baby.

She told the tribunal Ms Trumble, who began working for her in April 2004, had handed in her notice "out of the blue" in 2008.

Ms Mills will continue to give evidence when the tribunal resumes today.