A CAR worker fired after his boss complained about him singing Elvis songs has lost his claim for unfair dismissal.

David Jewers' hip-wiggling antics on the production line led to a foul-mouthed outburst from a furious supervisor, it was claimed.

The 37-year-old Nissan worker was marking the 25th anniversary of The King's death last summer.

The part-time club singer entertained other workers by dancing, playing air guitar and belting out the Elvis hit A Little Less Conversation that was being piped into the factory at the plant in Sunderland. But his comic routine developed into a huge row with his supervisor, Andy Whitmore.

A tribunal hearing in Newcastle was told Mr Whitmore felt Mr Jewers was disrupting the strict regime of the production line at the plant.

But the worker retaliated with an uncharacteristic outburst of his own, resulting in his dismissal.

Witnesses had made statements that the singing and dancing was "just a laugh" and there had been no harm in Mr Jewers' frivolity. But the incident became heated when a stressed Mr Jewers took a verbal swipe at his boss, threatening to attack him.

Father-of-two Mr Jewers, married to Michelle, said he had made an idle threat he had not intended to carry out.

Giving evidence, senior supervisor William Armstrong, who carried out an investigation, admitted that if Mr Jewers had wanted to attack his boss he could easily have done so.

But the incident on August 22, last year resulted in a disciplinary hearing. Mr Jewers was sent home from work, suspended on full pay.

A week later, after a hearing, he was sacked for gross misconduct by William Armstrong for threatening violence.

Mr Jewers, who had been employed in his £26,000-a-year job for 11 years, was dismissed despite Mr Armstrong admitting "he was a good worker."

Mr Jewers, of Low Fell, Gateshead, was seeking damages for unfair dismissal.

But the tribunal dismissed his claim on a majority of two to one, ruling his dismissal was fair.

Mr Jewers said yesterday: "I am completely shattered and devastated. I'm taking legal advice with a view to launching an appeal."