A Santa Claus was removed from his grotto after a woman complained that he asked if she wanted to sit on his lap, despite warnings about his behaviour by his helper elf.

Andrew Mondia, 32, who says he was sacked from the central London Selfridges store after only three days on Monday, said: "I had no intention of offending her, I just wanted to include her in the moment. Christmas is for adults too.

"I was just being my innocent usual self. I was shocked when they told me. I couldn't believe I've been sacked for being too friendly."

Selfridges said all potential Santas were told during their training that no one should sit on their lap. Mondia had also been warned by his helper elf several times that he should not ask clients to sit on his knee. A spokesman said: "Unfortunately, this particular Santa didn't behave in line with his training."

Mondia insists that during his one-day training, which was "a bit rushed", he was told that if children wanted to sit on Santa's knees they must be placed there by their parents, but at no point was he told that the action was forbidden.

Mondia, who at other points in his career has also posed as a box of Nesquik and a BlackBerry pearl mobile phone, had been due to work six days a week, at £9.75 an hour over the festive period, and would have earned about £2,500. He said. "I'm looking for other jobs but it's going to ruin my Christmas."