A MAN lost his job because he smacked his child, a court was told yesterday.

The 36-year-old from east Cleveland, who The Northern Echo has not named in order to protect the child's identity, was sacked as a swimming pool lifeguard working with school parties, a job he had held for more than ten years.

His son, aged seven, told police he was smacked five times on the bottom, said Paul Cleasby, prosecuting at Teesside Crown Court.

The boy's mother said the punishment caused horrific bruising, said Mr Cleasby, adding that she kept the boy off school for several days until the bruising went down.

The boy's crime was that he lost one of his trainers out playing and had also soiled himself. His father said he had not realised his own strength and admitted that he used excessive force.

The man, who had no previous convictions, pleaded guilty to child cruelty on July 11, last year. Yesterday, Judge Peter Bowers gave him a three-year rehabilitation order.