THE only woman working on the giant car production line at Nissan is suing her bosses for sex discrimination after male colleagues watched hardcore porn during their lunch breaks.

Outraged Beverley Ward, 24, also claims she was told she would not have her contract renewed at the Sunderland plant because she was female.

Miss Ward, from Ferryhill, County Durham, has taken Nissan to an employment tribunal after she says she was effectively sacked from her post in the paint shop.

She claims she was told by supervisor Dean Simpson that "they don't want you because you're a girl".

During the Newcastle tribunal, it was revealed that the 300 male workers in Miss Ward's department watched pornographic films in their breaks.

They also watched videos of Roy "Chubby" Brown, the comedian famed for his blue jokes.

Mr Simpson told the tribunal: "It caused disharmony because the men would have to turn off the video when Beverley came in."

Another supervisor, Stuart Wright, added: "I told Beverley I didn't want to stop the lads doing what they had always done, but if she found it offensive I would have a word with them."

Miss Ward's solicitor, Richard Bloomfield, asked him: "You are aware that pornographic videos of an extremely hardcore nature are played in rest rooms?" Mr Wright replied: "Yes."

The tribunal was also told that Miss Ward was forced to have lunch with Tony Blair when he visited the plant last year to celebrate its new Micra deal.

Despite being unhappy in her job, bosses allegedly told Miss Ward to talk to the Prime Minister and tell him she was happy to be the only female worker in her department.

Tribunal chairman Nick Garside heard that Miss Ward was one of seven workers to be told their contracts would not be renewed after they terminated in July 2001.

But while the other six - all men - were found other jobs within Nissan, Miss Ward was not.

John Falkenstein, for the company, said Nissan was hoping to offer Miss Ward a contract for a job working on the new Primera model in October, three months after her original contract ran out.

But Miss Ward claimed the company was not doing enough to find her a permanent job compared to the men. She complained to Mr Simpson, and the conversation turned into a heated argument.

Mr Simpson was alleged to have told Miss Ward: "What do you want me to do? They don't want you because you're a girl."

Miss Ward stormed out, and returned the next day to drop off her locker keys and security pass.

Mr Simpson took this to mean she had resigned.

He said: "She would have been offered a job to start in October if she hadn't behaved the way she did that day."

The tribunal's decision will be announced within four weeks.