A receptionist was sent home from work for refusing to wear high heels.

Nicola Thorp from east London was told she needed arrive at accountancy firm PricewaterhouseCoopers wearing two to four inch heels.

The 27-year-old from Hackney complained the policy was discriminatory because men could wear flat shoes.

Ms Thorpe was being employed by PwC's outsourced reception firm Portico.

Speaking to the Evening Standard she said:

Employers are allowed to dismiss staff who fail to meet reasonable dress code guidelines, if they have been given time to buy the right clothes.

Nicola has launched a petition to make it illegal for companies to force women to wear high heels.