A security guard pestered female staff at a sports shop to go out with him, a tribunal heard.

Five female workers at JJB Sports complained about Martin Avevor's behaviour, it was claimed.

Managers said as a result he was moved from the shop in Western Road, Brighton, to Sports Division's superstore on the Goldstone Trading Estate in Hove.

Another female assistant there later complained to managers that she felt harassed by Mr Avevor after he asked her out for a drink.

Mr Avevor, of York Road, Hove, denied the allegations and told the Brighton industrial tribunal he had been replaced by a white security guard. He claimed he was racially discriminated against by his employer, Elite Security Guarding Services of Birmingham.

He told the tribunal that claims he had harassed female staff were "lies".

Under cross-examination from Elite's managing director, David Hoey, he agreed he had asked a female employee out for a drink.

But Mr Avevor said this had happened after they had both finished work and were away from the Sports Division superstore.

He said: "She told me she had a boyfriend and did not want to go for a drink with me. That was all that happened."

He claimed he had worked seven days a week, and only had three days off between moving to Hove in December last year and leaving in March.

Mr Avevor said: "I was working seven days a week and was there all the time the store was open. I was living in Hastings at the time and asked for a few days off so that I could move to Hove.

"They asked me to show a white security guard round because he was going to cover while I was off.

"He asked me if I was going to keep working there and if there was enough for both of us to do, which seemed a funny thing to say."

Mr Hoey alleged managers at JJB Sports had received complaints about Mr Avevor, who had been given a written warning about his behaviour.

He told the tribunal: "In a letter to us the manager said there had been five complaints by women staff that he had sexually harassed them by continuing to ask them out."

Mr Hoey said Mr Avevor had 11 days off between December and March.

Sports Division asked Elite to supply a second security guard to work at Hove, and Mr Avevor was told his shifts would be split between them.

Mr Hoey said: "He wasn't at all pleased about that and slammed the phone down on his manager.

"We didn't hear from him again."

The tribunal dismissed Mr Avevor's claim, but criticised Elite for failing to keep proper documentation in relation to the case.

Mr Avevor declined to comment on the result.

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