A care worker who was sacked after telling a disabled man that he must have done something bad in a past life has failed to have his case reopened.

Brett Pearce, an Apostolic Christian, was working for Llanidloes-based TLC Domiciliary Care, had taken the company to an employment tribunal.

But in January a hearing ruled that Mr Pearce was not unfairly dismissed or discriminated on grounds of his religious belief.

The tribunal heard that Pearce, an Apostolic Christian, who had worked for the company for only six months when he was sacked in June last year, claimed that God was telling him to speak to people.

He told one disabled man that he was in a wheelchair because he must have done something bad in his life.

When spoken to by his boss he told her that he saw the business as “a channel for the salvation of all those connected with the organisation”.

In his short term with the company six service users complained about him imposing his religious views, but he continued to do so despite being warned.

The family of one service-user with dementia called Mr Pearce a "bible-puncher" and asked to be kept away from him.

Pearce was sacked for gross misconduct and in its judgment the tribunal said that “the formal and informal approach had failed to curb his enthusiasm”.

He applied for the matter to be reconsidered but his plea has been turned down by Employment Judge Richard Powell who ruled that there was no reasonable prospect of the original decision being varied or revoked.

Pearce’s appeal consisted largely of several references to the King James Bible, reiterating that he was sent as a messenger by God.

“Those who judge will themselves be judged,” he said.