THE man who sparked a mass walkout at BAE Systems' Samlesbury factory after being sacked for "internet abuse" will be back on the shopfloor on Monday.

The unnamed worker was reinstated after winning his appeal against instant dismissal for misuse of the company's IT systems.

A company spokesman confirmed the dispute had now been settled and said the dismissal had been reduced to a final written warning.

The man's instant dismissal prompted a lightning walkout by around 1,200 night shift staff who were working on the Eurofighter Typhoon.

The man, who is thought to have worked at BAe for 25 years, appealed against the decision with the support of the Transport and General Workers' Union. The union argued that the company had over-reacted and demanded his reinstatement. Neither the company nor the union would comment on the nature of the internet abuse, but a spokesman for the Transport and General Workers Union said the man had the strong support of his shopfloor colleagues.

Millions of pounds have been invested in production facilities at Samlesbury which are among the most technologically advanced in the world. Many workers have access to the Internet through the company's own IT systems, but its use is strictly controlled.

A spokesman for BAE Systems said any threat of further industrial action at Samlesbury had now been lifted. "Following last week's spontaneous unofficial walkout, management and the unions decided that the best way forward was to continue the appeals process," he said.

"It was concluded that the individual's actions, whilst constituting serious misuse of IT systems, were not judged to warrant gross misconduct and therefore dismissal. As a result, the appeal has been upheld and the individual has been reinstated."