Two airline cabin crew claim they were unfairly sacked for breaching safety regulations.

Lisa Chambers and Hayley Crequer, who worked for Britannia Airways, lost their jobs for removing seat belts from two aircraft seats to ensure no one sat in them.

They intended to make more space for cabin crew to work.

The two women are claiming compensation at an employment tribunal for unfair dismissal.

Ms Chambers, of Lyon Close, Crawley, who has worked as cabin crew since 1988 and for Britannia for seven years, and Ms Crequer, of Oakwood Road, Horley, who joined the company in 1998, said the punishment was too harsh and they should not have been sacked.

The airline denies treating the women unfairly and claims they put passengers and staff at risk.

Nick Allsop, the company's former cabin services operations manager, told the Brighton hearing yesterday: "All those who heard about the incident were totally shocked that anyone had removed a seat belt from a seat."

The tribunal was told the incident happened in November 2000 when the women were working on a Boeing 757 flight from Arrecife in the Canary Islands to Gatwick, with about 230 people on board.

Due to restricted working space in the front galley, cabin crew prefer the two front seats to remain empty if the aircraft is not full.

This makes it easier to manoeuvre the trolley.

The women said when the cabin manager said she did not want passengers on those seats they decided to remove the seat belts to prevent passengers from sitting there.

They said it was common practice. But when the captain heard the belts had been removed an investigation was launched and the women were fired.

They appealed and the company concluded dismissal was fair but gave the women a month's pay.

Mr Allsop said: "Seat belts are especially important when there is turbulence.

"Passengers and crew must sit down in the nearest seat and put their seat belts on."

The company believed a final warning would not have reflected the seriousness of the situation.

The tribunal continues.