A SOUTHAMPTON-based call centre worker has been sacked for leaving an obscene remark on a young mum's phone messages.

The British Gas employee inadvertently left the message after trying to get hold of mother-of-three Sharon Brogan.

She had been trying to contact the firm to sort out a mix-up which saw her pay more than £500 to British Gas, believing it had been supplying her gas when it was actually another firm.

After she made a series of phone calls to British Gas, whose call centre is in St Mary's Road, a customer services operator rang back and left a message on her answering machine.

He asked her to get in touch to discuss the problem but when he thought he had hung up, the 26-year-old's telephone answering machine continued to record his conversation with a female colleague.

The man laughed and said he had "got rid of her".

He then said: "I rang her and left a message but didn't leave the number. That's the beauty of it. She'll have to ring back and go straight through again."

His colleague burst out laughing when he said another worker, whom he described with a four-letter word, could deal with her later. Andy Eley, general manager at the Southampton call centre, said: "We have taken this matter very seriously.

"We were absolutely appalled to hear of this behaviour by a member of our staff, which lets down the good work done by our call centre staff."

Ms Brogan, from Blackburn, received a bouquet and the money she mistakenly paid out has been refunded.

"I am glad all this has been sorted out," she said.

"I have accepted the apology from British Gas and it's a bit harsh to sack the caller but, at the end of the day, it was a disgusting thing to say."