Amazon executives plotted to launch a smear campaign against a rebellious warehouse worker, calling him "not smart or articulate", according to reports.

Vice News reported on Thursday that it had obtained leaked documents from a daily coronavirus planning meeting attended by Amazon's chief executive Jeff Bezos showing "broad agreement" to go on the offensive against Christian Smalls, who was fired on Monday after leading a walk-out in New York City.

The report alleges that David Zapolsky, Amazon's general counsel, advocated making Mr Smalls "the face of the union movement" to head off a growing PR storm. He effectively confirmed those comments on Thursday, admitting he had let his "emotions" rule him while continuing to attack the worker.

It comes amid increasing rancour and fear about the safety of Amazon's warehouses as millions of people suddenly turn to the online shopping giant to keep them supplied while isolated at home.

Last week an anonymous Amazon delivery driver, writing in the Telegraph, accused the company of taking "no precautions to protect its workers and creating a "dangerous" environment.

Mr Zapolsky reportedly said: “We should spend the first part of our response strongly laying out the case for why the organiser’s conduct was immoral, unacceptable, and arguably illegal, in detail, and only then follow with our usual talking points about worker safety.

“He’s not smart, or articulate, and to the extent the press wants to focus on us versus him, we will be in a much stronger PR position than simply explaining for the umpteenth time how we’re trying to protect workers."

That strategy mirrors statements by other Amazon executives over the last few days, with two of them sending almost identical tweets claiming that Mr Smalls had "knowingly put our team at risk".