A woman has told an employment tribunal she was sacked via a text message on her mobile phone after refusing to have a relationship with her boss.

Cleo Webster, who worked as financial controller and bookkeeper for a small computer company, claimed she was fired without warning by text while shopping in Brighton with her boyfriend.

Miss Webster, 26, of Greville Road, Hastings, said her former boss Andrew Hookham, managing director of Blue Chip Supplies in Hailsham, harassed her and broke down in tears when she rejected him.

She told the Brighton hearing he sacked her because he was jealous. Miss Webster is claiming compensation for sex discrimination and unfair dismissal.

The tribunal reserved its decision to a later date.

Mr Hookham, who lives in Eastbourne, denied treating her unfairly and claimed she resigned in April last year.

He said the couple had a sexual relationship and he showed a three-page letter he claimed she had sent to him, which began by stating she had loved him since they met.

At first Miss Webster denied writing the letter. She told the hearing they only had a platonic friendship and had not had a sexual relationship.

Later she admitted it was her letter but said she had no memory of writing it.

She claimed she made it clear she just wanted to be friends with Mr Hookham, who was separated from his wife.

But she became increasingly concerned about his unpredictable behaviour.

In March last year he became angry when she told him she no longer wanted to spend any time with him outside work.

She said he later contacted her, crying inconsolably, and said he could not go on without her friendship.

The next month she arranged a day off work and went shopping with her boyfriend.

When Mr Hookham found out, there was a barrage of angry and abusive calls on her mobile, including a text message in which she claimed he sacked her. She denied she had lied to her boss by taking the day off sick.

Mr Hookham said he was upset when she told him she wanted to end their relationship and was prescribed anti-depressants by his GP.

He was annoyed when he found out she had gone shopping when he thought she was off sick. He denied sacking her because he was jealous of her new boyfriend. He still hoped their relationship could be salvaged.

He said: "At no time did I ever dismiss her. She simply refused to come into work.

"Although our personal relationship may have been ending, our work situation was separate and still continued. She does not seem to accept this."