A SEXISM row has erupted after a hotel in Malmesbury advertised a job at a school, stating in the description that it was “just not a role for ladies”.

The advert for a porter position at Whatley Manor was placed in school in the area and later moved and put in the window of a post office.

It stated that the role would involve “moving luggage, moving cars, tending fires, generally taking deliveries, keeping the reception area tidy”.

The advert goes on to say, in brackets after the description: “Sorry, it’s just not a role for ladies”.

Gender discrimination when hiring staff has been illegal in the UK since 2010, when the Equality Act was brought into law.

Gill Salter, of Whatley Manor, said as soon as the hotel realised it had been placed outside of a school environment it was immediately removed.

She insisted however the role would not have been suited to a 16-year-old girl.

“We just had someone struggling in with big boxes so strength was one of the issues,” she said.

“Water delivery is really heavy so this was a practicality issue.

“Youngsters just wouldn’t have strength that an older lady has, so the advert was only placed in a student common room in that form.

“As soon as we realised the wrong one had been put up it post office, it was been taken down.”

Charlene Harvey, a 36-year-old bodybuilder from Malmesbury, is currently a world champion in her discipline and says age and gender is irrelevant to someone’s strength.

“I joined a gym when I was 16 and started weightlifting at 17,” she said.

“I was pretty damn strong then, so using physical ability as a reason for the comment is a poor excuse.

“There are physiological differences between a man and a woman, but a woman can train and be just as strong as a man.

“You can’t assume every woman is going to weak.

“The fitness industry is moving so fast, it’s becoming the norm to see as many girls lifting weights now as men.

“I didn’t think they were allowed to do things like this anymore. In today’s industry it’s a bit out of place.”

A later statement released by the hotel said: “We are very sorry for any offence caused by this particular advert. It was not our intention to discriminate with the job advertisement for a porter.

“The original advert was produced for a local school and worded so it was clear that the role required lifting heavy and awkward deliveries and with genuine concern for the potential candidate.

“It was not intended to cause offence and as soon as we received this response we took immediate action to remove the advert placed on noticeboards locally.”