A boss repeatedly rang police to see if they had questioned his receptionist about the theft of cash from the office, a tribunal heard.

And when he found out they were not pressing charges, he was furious, the tribunal was told.

The boss, the manager of a Bradford car-repair shop, is accused of sexually harassing his blonde receptionist and attempting to kiss and grope her.

Neither can be named for legal reasons.

She is claiming constructive dismissal, sex discrimination and victimisation.

On the second day of the Leeds tribunal case David Mason, representing the woman worker, confronted her boss, saying he had hoped she would be found guilty of theft and leave the firm where she had worked for two and a half years.

"If she was dismissed for theft, and out of the company, she would be discredited and her claims would not stand up," Mr Mason said.

"You were agitated to find out that she hadn't been charged, weren't you?

"You were furious because if she had been convicted of theft that would have been your problem solved."

The manager has denied all the allegations made by the employee.

The tribunal has heard that the 37-year-old mother-of-three was accused of stealing £100 paid out by a customer whose car was being fixed at the business.

She was summoned to a disciplinary hearing by her boss, but she claims she had already lodged a grievance against him.

The company says that she only brought up her complaints after being accused of theft.

Mr Mason criticised the firm for allowing the woman's boss to conduct her disciplinary hearing even after she lodged a serious sexual complaint against him.

And he said that bosses were wrong to quiz her colleagues about her conduct around other employees.

They reported that she had shown off a tattoo on her bottom and that she was forthright in talking about her sex life.

"You were fishing around for counter-allegations of a similar nature," Mr Mason said.

"Is it your view that if a woman flaunts herself in the workplace she's fair game?"

Nicola Hunter, for the company, said a customer had seen the receptionist place £100 in cash in the waistband of her trousers.

The firm was within its rights to discipline her because of an 'honest and genuine belief' that she had stolen the money," she said.

The tribunal reserved its judgement.