A Co-op worker has said he is "gutted" after being sacked for giving discounts to pensioners using his employee card.

John Burley, 64, is concerned he won't be able to find a new job after he was struck off last week for "gross misconduct".

The Eastleigh resident had been working at the store on Shakespeare Road since May and gave employee discounts to pensioners, one of whom was a veteran, while they shopped at the store.

However, the part-time store assistant claims he was never told this was against company policy and would have “stopped straight away” had he been given a verbal warning.

He said: "I am gutted, especially with it being so close to Christmas.

"Someone my age trying to find a job now will be really tough. It is bound to have a massive impact on my finances.”

Daily Echo: Co-op store on Shakespeare Road in Eastleigh Co-op store on Shakespeare Road in Eastleigh (Image: Newsquest, Jose Ramos)

John was asked about the discounts at the end of a shift last month when he was asked to stay behind by his store manager. 

The employee card offers 30 per cent off on Co-op branded products and 10 per cent on other brands.

He added: “I just wanted to do something nice for the veteran.

"It was my way to honour him, but I had no idea what I was doing was against the company’s policy.

“He then told me that he would suspend me and that an investigation would be done.

"I was shocked because at no given moment was I told by anybody that what I did was wrong.”

A week after that disciplinary was launched, the decision was made by the temporary manager to dismiss him, but the 64-year-old appealed the decision.

Now, a month later John received a letter from area manager Dave Bryant saying that the decision to let him go was upheld and that he would be dismissed for gross misconduct with immediate effect and without notice or pay.

A spokesperson for Southern Co-Op: "After a thorough investigation, we reluctantly had to dismiss an employee for deliberate abuse of his staff discount card.

"The policy around the use of colleague discount is communicated clearly at the point of signing up to the scheme.

"We expect colleagues to respect the rules and our policy clearly states that a serious breach of the rules can be taken as an act of gross misconduct which can lead to dismissal."

John said: “I just want to know why no one came to me and said that what I was doing was wrong. I was only on a part-time contract but any time they needed me to cover someone’s shift I would always help.

“I had finally found a job I loved, and getting to have banter with the customers.

“I was brought up properly, I don’t steal or lie.”