'Morrison's sacked me because I made a joke about MP Carolyn Harris on Twitter'

A man who “jokingly” accused a Swansea MP on social networking of over sleeping Parliament revealed he has been dismissed from his job.

Adam Bendle, 30, who supported good causes in the role of community champion at Morrisons Morfa store in Swansea, said he provided to apologise within the wake of the fallout.

Mr Bendle, who worked for the store for 14 years, claimed the post was merely “a harmless joke” after posting the image of Swansea East MP Carolyn Harris.

Mrs Harris said she was bombarded with 72 hours of abuse within the wake from the picture going online.

However, Mr Bendle said he never expected the share to possess that impact as he claims it was only online for 10 minutes and he then took it down.

“I wasn't the first person to talk about the picture of Carolyn Harris,” he said.

“I wrote 'Wouldn't it's nice if we were all paid to rest at work.'

“I didn't mention Morrisons, I didn't make complaints concerning the way she looked, she'd abuse from others however it wasn't from me.

“I did not want that.

“It was available online for for 10 minutes – I was happy to delete it.

“I made a mistake.”

Mr Bendle added: “Someone I worked with took a screenshot from it and sent it to the MP."

The situation led him to manage disciplinary action but he had thought as he is made to operate within the Easter period before the hearing took place he did not expect to lose his job.

Mr Bendle said: “I was told before Easter which i had a disciplinary and I was quite stressed about this. They provided me work over Easter.

“I went in on Easter Monday and I was told that I didn't have a job anymore. They didn't worry about my mental health or that I was stressed.

“I was escorted out of the building in front of the customers, that was really embarrassing. It was too late that i can appeal however i will not have desired to return.

He added: “I would be a community champion and look for team leader.

“On weekends I would check out work and work in the city. You have got to possess a feeling of humour and enjoy work.

“I put something on my small Facebook and will be putting something on the website making people laugh.”

He said during the disciplinary hearing he was quizzed about his political allegiances.

Mr Bendle said: “'Did you post it because you are Plaid and she is Labour?' But it was a harmless joke.”

He said Morrisons bosses felt differently.

“Apparently it had been gross misconduct and I might have damaged her reputation and theirs,” he added

Next he said issues were raised about him wearing a 'Yes Cymru' in store, which led to customer complaints.

“In January or February someone were not impressed with me wearing a 'Yes Cymru' mask and 'I was told to prevent,'” he added.

“But it isn't a political party and that i went to wear an ordinary one. At Christmas time I wore a 'Yes Cymru' Christmas jumper, which had a lot of Christmas presents onto it.

“You can nonetheless be friends with someone just because you have different opinions. I had been expecting a final warning or something like that.

"They might have said these were suspending me and that i might have started job searching earlier. Especially in the end the favours I have done and worked 14 to fifteen hours shifts at short notice.

“I offered to apologise to the disciplinary board at Morrisons but they explained not to bother and they said they'd however i do not know if they have.”

He said he's talked to other employers about his situation and claimed he was told he'd 't be eliminated for that offence elsewhere.

Mr Bendle said he worries about the knock on effect to other jobs in the future because he said he's "to put down that I was dismissed on application forms".

He added: “Firms have said they would not have access to dismissed me for your and they would have inquired about to take it down.”

We contacted MP Mrs Harris concerning the incident and she or he said politicians are very susceptible to abuse on social networking.

And speaking about the look posted by Mr Bendle, she said: “It would be a bad angled photo – I was looking at my mobile phone.

"I experienced 72 relentless hours of abuse about my size and my clothes. I had been when compared with animals, I had been over a frog. It had been horrendous.

She added:”When individuals have an axe to grind they'll do anything to provide you with heartache, my hubby and son were getting abused too.

“I had somebody tell me after i got around the bus 'Are you awake now?'

“People wonder why women do not get involved with politics.”

A Morrisons spokeswoman said: “We would politely decline to discuss the story.”