A BUTLER yesterday lost a bid for damages from a multi-millionaire over allegations he was sacked for serving dinner an hour early.

A Reading employment tribunal rejected Francisco de Sousa’s claim that he was fired by a furious Kevin Cash for serving the roast chicken early at £16m North Aston Hall, near Bicester.

Tribunal chairman Robin Lewis said Mr Cash was not “someone who would care very much about the time he ate a meal”. He said Mr Cash instead reacted to Mr de Sousa’s “rude and disrespectful” treatment of his wife, Carla, and instead of firing him, told him to get out of the house.

Relations broke down between the men because of Mr de Sousa’s resentment towards Mrs Cash, the tribunal was told. The butler’s wife, Maria, a cook, was also dismissed.

The couple claimed they were dismissed because Mr Cash used forged documents to make it appear as if they had never been employed by him, but by a property management company.

Mr Lewis branded the explanation “implausible”.

Afterwards Mr Cash said the case had been “a complete waste of everyone’s time”.