THE Southampton-based leader of the train drivers' union has been sacked for "gross misconduct" in the wake of an infamous barbecue brawl.

Shaun Brady was given the news in a letter delivered by courier to his home in Bitterne and he now has six weeks to launch an appeal to save his job.

Mr Brady had been suspended from his post of general secretary of Aslef since May following the fracas at a barbecue held at the union's head office in north London

He appeared before Aslef's executive to face seven disciplinary charges, emerging to admit that his job was on the line. The dismissal was not connected to the brawl but related to a charge of failing to carry out the instructions of the executive to co-operate with an independent inquiry into the union's affairs, carried out by QC Matthias Kelly.

Mr Brady said he was "disappointed and bewildered" by the sacking and revealed that he would be considering his position.

In a statement, the union said the executive found Mr Brady guilt of gross misconduct.

He was also censured for bringing the union into disrepute, although he was cleared of deliberately attempting to mislead Mr Kelly's inquiry.

Mr Brady, 41, who took office last October, had also been accused of using his Aslef credit card to obtain a £6,228.13 cash advance and not accounting for it, but the executive said it accepted an explanation given during Thursday's hearing.

Three other charges, including another of bringing the union into disrepute, were deferred because witnesses had not turned up at the disciplinary hearing.

Mr Brady was suspended along with assistant general secretary Mick Blackburn and president Martin Samways, five days after the barbecue incident.

Mr Samways has since resigned and Mr Blackburn will face a disciplinary hearing next week.

The Kelly Report accused Mr Brady of handling the union's staff "aggressively and insensitively". It said he had engaged in a power struggle.

The union's annual conference was suspended in June andhas been rescheduled for September.

Mr Brady, a former South West Trains Driver, is the first serving union general secretary to be dismissed since 1991.