WHAT started out as an innocent advert for part-time staff placed in a shop window resulted in TV antiques expert David Harper being accused of discrimination by an angry jobseeker.

Mr Harper stuck a card in the door window of his antiques business in The Bank, Barnard Castle, advertising for people to help out in both the shop and its newly-opened tea room.

The business is based in a four-storey grade-II listed building and Mr Harper’s advert stated: “Part-time staff. Washing up and cleaning in tea room and antique shop. Must be non-smoker and fit! 4 floors to cover with lots of running upstairs!”

He said a woman who read the sign had been standing outside smoking a cigarette.

“She stubbed it out on the floor and came in to inquire about the job vacancy. I assumed she must be applying for someone else.

“I told her what it entailed and when I said we didn’t want a smoker, she accused me of discriminating against smokers, stormed out and slammed the door.”

Mr Harper, a familiar face on TV shows such as Bargain Hunt and The Antiques Road Trip, has run his business in Barnard Castle for more than 15 years.