A deaf chambermaid who claimed she was sacked by hotel management because of her disability has lost her claim for compensation at an employment tribunal.

Vicky Morton, who worked at the Royal Albion Hotel in Brighton for six weeks, claimed she was told not to bother returning to work after she went home early because she was feeling ill.

The hotel denied her allegations and claimed she resigned.

Ms Morton, of Penhurst Place, Brighton, was claiming disability discrimination at the Brighton hearing.

She said she suffered an ear infection and was still feeling dizzy and sick when she returned to work on September 22 last year after taking two days off.

It was only a week after the Grade II listed hotel had opened again for business following a serious fire two years earlier.

That day delegates attending the Labour Party conference were due to start arriving at the hotel in Old Steine.

She said she was called to a meeting with the general manager Peter Milne who told her if she went home early she should not bother coming back to work.

She said: "He did not say I was sacked but he said if you go home don't bother coming back. I was worried about the pain in my ear if I continued to work. I was worried I was going to pass out in a room and no one would know. The hotel did not bother to find out if the sickness was related to my impairment."

Ms Morton, who claimed she was crying as she left, accused the hotel of later informing her she had been sacked for her poor standard of work.

She told the hearing there had never been any complaints about her work and she denied resigning.

The hotel said she had three days off sick in the six weeks she worked there and it was keen to ensure she was committed to the job.

The hotel had only just opened and was exceptionally busy as the conference delegates were due to arrive. Managers wanted Ms Morton to stay at work because everyone was under pressure and they needed every spare pair of hands.