A shepherd sacked by a farmer who suspected he was stealing sheep feed has lost his claim for unfair dismissal.

Mark Nye denied he was caught red-handed stealing bags of feed worth £25 for his own flock of 300 sheep.

But a Brighton employment tribunal ruled farmer Michael Roberts had acted fairly in sacking Mr Nye without a formal disciplinary hearing because of his conduct.

Mr Nye was dismissed in February by Mr Roberts, owner of Summertree Farm, Bodle Street, near Hailsham, who owns more than 2,000 sheep and 60 horses.

The tribunal heard he was sacked after being caught on a security camera in the farmyard at 9.45pm loading feed bags into a Land Rover.

A member of staff alerted Mr Roberts, who rushed from the farmhouse to confront Mr Nye. Mr Nye claimed he had been at the farm for an hour feeding 950 sheep in a barn.

He claimed he was loading up the bags to feed more sheep at another smaller barn nearby. But Mr Roberts told the hearing he did not believe the shepherd because it was so unusually late.

He said there were no lights in the smaller barn and it would have distressed the pregnant ewes. Mr Roberts said: "It struck me as being quite untrue. It was totally implausible. I felt it was quite reasonable to ask him to go and leave my employ right there and then."

He said Mr Nye had been previously given a warning after he took diesel from a farm tank to fill his own vehicle without prior permission.

Mr Nye, of St Leonards, said he was unfairly treated because he was sacked without warning when there was no proof he had intended to steal the feed.

He said he was delayed feeding the sheep because he had been helping his father, whose flock in Kent had escaped.

Mr Nye said: "He did not stop to ask me what I was doing. If he asked, we could have resolved the situation."