Thanks all. I guess I am most angry with the managers who stood aside and let the 2 jobs be combined into one post. Then made the colleagues/friends fight it out for the one post. Then stacked the interview panel for one and against the other. It was quite obvious, but nothing to be done about it as neither women are members of the union. Had they been, there would be some sort of guidance and support.

I am not too happy with the colleague who gained the post either, but won't go into details as to why.

It is not all horrible. The colleague who lost her job, will now be absorbed into another team, in another service, another building, pending another interview to find her placement. It may be that it will be a very good move for her. I am certainly hoping so. But we will miss her. She knew her job and did it very well and she just blended well with all of us in the office. And with her Dad, passing away, it would have been better for her to stay with what she knows and have people around her, who know her and care about her.