IWHOLEHEARTEDLY agree with the views in 'Victims of bullying should speak out' (Letters, June 27), having been a victim of bullying at work myself.

I am employed in a local government social services department where there is a senior manager whose main objective seems to be to bully her subordinates on the pretext of 'directive management.'

Two years ago, I lodged official complaints against her and only one was not upheld.

What happened next? Well, I did get an apology from the person involved. But as a result of bullying over several months, my GP had given me anti-depressants. I lost all my confidence: my home and family life suffered. My health suffered, too -- all stress-related.

I rely on my income to pay the mortgage, etc. and I couldn't afford to give up my job. Anyway, I didn't have the confidence to apply for another. At one point, my lowest ebb, I felt suicidal.

As a result, I became one of those council workers who had to take time off with stress. You know, the ones about whom derogatory remarks were made recently in the Lancashire Evening Telegraph?

What happened to the bully? Nothing at all. She is still in the same position and, sadly, still using her position of power to continue bullying others.

The problem is, once senior management have taken sides with a bully it is difficult for them to admit that they were wrong.

What they should worry about is the deterioration of their department's reputation, the loss of trained staff and the subsequent costs of training replacement staff, the loss of departmental money paying staff who are off work with stress, which has the knock-on effect of other staff having to cover their colleague's workload, thus leading to more stress-related sickness.

Complaining and standing up against a bully is not just about compensation, it didn't enter my mind. It's about regaining one's own self esteem, one's own sense of worth and, more than anything else, I have my peace of mind because I stood up for my right to be treated with respect.

No amount of compensation can pay for that.

Name and address received.