Adam Cooke was sacked from Enterprise Rent-A-Car in August 2007 after being told he was flouting the company's dress code by wearing the small hoop in his left ear.

He was on a management trainee scheme at the Chichester company and was doing well until he fell out with bosses over the earring.

Mr Cooke, from Chidham, near Emsworth, flatly refused to take it out, saying it was unfair because female employees were, at that time, allowed to wear two in each ear.

The 34-year-old said: 'It is not symbolic in any way, it is just the principle of the matter. I have worn this earring since I was 13 years old. To me it was like asking a woman to cut her hair off.

'My point is how can the tribunal rule that because there are some restrictions placed on women as well as men it's not discriminatory?

'A woman has never been suspended or sacked for wearing an earring. Surely this means discrimination?'

A tribunal in Southampton in May heard evidence from both sides, including the fact that Mr Cooke had been told repeatedly to remove the earring.

The bench ruled last week that Mr Cooke was not the victim of sex discrimination and was not unfairly dismissed.

At Enterprise Rent A Car he set up corporate accounts and had to deal with the public daily. He now has a new job with a finance company in Waterlooville where he is allowed to wear the earring.

Enterprise Rent a Car now only allows women to wear one earring in each ear. Lee Broughton, a spokesman for the firm, said he believed the dress code was fair.

He said: 'Essentially we have a dress code that every employee when they come to work for us signs.

'Our corporate customers expect us to be in business dress and we uphold it very fairly and even handedly.

'For men that does not involve an earring and for women it is one earring in each ear.

'The history is that Adam was a great employee and we really enjoyed him working with us.

'He went against the dress code over a period of time. Despite many, many times his manager trying to help him understand it further, he chose not to.'