Bradford West MP Marsha Singh has told an employment tribunal that testimony by his former office manager that she had not resigned from her job was a "pack of lies".

Councillor Lynne Smith, Bradford Council's Labour group assistant chief whip, is claiming unfair dismissal, sex discrimination and more than £7,000 in unpaid wages against the Labour MP on the grounds that she had continued to do her job from home while on sick leave.

But Mr Singh, giving evidence at the hearing in Leeds today, said: "I would not be this adamant if I didn't completely believe she had resigned. I don't like staff leaving or being off sick, she knows she resigned. I shook her hand and said goodbye to her. Everything has been a pack of lies."

Coun Smith has said it was clear she was to work from home from January this year after Mr Singh's decision not to proceed with disciplinary action against his senior case worker and long-standing friend, Adrian Longthorn.

Mr Longthorn told the hearing that while his relationship with Coun Smith had started well, he said she had become "paranoid" and "hell-bent" on destroying his relationship with Mr Singh.

He said: "On more than one occasion I have been subjected to a diatribe of loud and unnecessary censure regarding how I dealt with a friend of Mr Singh's who had approached me for assistance. This incident happened in front of MP Terry Rooney's staff and it was almost impossible to calm her down."

Other existing and former members of Mr Singh's staff have supported him, including his office manager in London, Charlene McLean. Miss McLean said members of staff had confided in her that they were unhappy.

She said: "I found her (Coun Smith's) persistence with regards to the disciplinary procedure situation with Adrian as a vindictive over-reaction with a vengeful overtone."

Coun Smith (Wibsey) is also claiming sexual discrimination after she says she was ordered to discipline a female member of staff and not Mr Longthorn following an incident.

The hearing continues.