A housekeeper claims she was sexually discriminated against and unfairly sacked by a Roman Catholic priest.

Ms Maria McBride, 29, has taken Father David Brown, former priest at St Thomas's Church in Riddrie, Glasgow, to an industrial tribunal claiming she was unfairly dismissed and discriminated against on the grounds of her sex.

Ms McBride, who has four children, told a preliminary hearing in Glasgow yesterday how it hit her ''like a bombshell'' when Father Brown told her she was being made redundant as he was going away.

She told the hearing: ''On Thursday November 27, I was told I was being made redundant. Obviously I was upset. It was a bombshell.''

Ms McBride, from Govanhill, Glasgow, told the tribunal, which is to determine who her employer was, that she was under the impression Father Brown em-ployed her as his housekeeper on behalf of the archdiocese of Glasgow.

She added: ''Father Brown wouldn't have taken me on unless he was sure I knew what I was doing. I just went about my duties unless there were priests and guests coming, then Father Brown would inform me on the plans for that day.''

Ms Sue Jardine, director of personnel with the archdiocese, said parish priests were self employed. ''It is their own choice whether or not they have a housekeeper. Many do. The parish priest makes his own domestic arrangements.''

The tribunal heard that Ms McBride, a divorcee, was offered the housekeeper's job by Father Brown, a long-standing family friend and godfather to her second son 10, as it fitted in with her domestic arrangements and allowed her to spent more quality time with her family. Her three other children are 11, six and 17 months.

Her unfair dismissal and sex discrimination complaints have been made against both Father Brown and the archdiocese of Glasgow. Father Brown is now staying with a friend.

Solicitor John McCormick, for the archdiocese, said she was employed by Father Brown. ''He hired and eventually fired her,'' he added. He also asked the tribunal to impose a restricted reporting order, which can be made in cases involving allegations of sexual misconduct.

He said there was also the possibility of criminal proceedings, but the tribunal refused to impose the order at this stage.

Her solicitor Gerry Sinclair accused the archdiocese of washing their hands of the matter as the housekeeper was keeping a house that didn't belong to the parish priest, it belonged to the archdiocese.

The tribunal will issue its decision on who her employer is at a later stage, and the hearing will proceed at a later date.

After the hearing, Ms McBride, of Hollybrooke Street, said: ''I don't want this to be kept quiet. They've obviously got something to hide. I had no choice but to go public. At the end of the day, justice will be done.''

She said agent Max Clifford had previously represented her.