The Heathrow head chef sacked for going home to look after his children has won back his job.

Virgilio Teixira, of Heston, spent a penniless two and a half months waiting for the verdict on his dismissal from Compass Catering but will now be reinstated as the top chef at Arora International.

"It is very, very good news for the whole family," said the dad-of-three. "All the guys at work are really pleased, too. They have been saying, 'When are you coming back?', but I still don't know that."

Virgilio was fired from his £20,000-a-year job at Smith's Bar and Kitchen at the hotel in Bath Road in August, after a colleague was two hours late for work.

After waiting for the other chef for as long as possible, Virgilio was forced to leave the kitchen unsupervised so he could go home and take over babysitting from his wife Joana, who was due at her bar job in Terminal 5.

"This is a victory for natural justice, and this is a victory for work-life balance," said GMB rep Perry Phillips, who helped Virgilio fight his corner.

A decision is still to be made on what compensation Virgilio will get.