Shovel off !

Teenage labourer Joe Norman was sacked from a building site at a girls school — for driving pupils into a frenzy. The 18-year-old, who had spent the summer helping to build an extension, started getting wolf-whistles when classes resumed after the holidays.

Furious Joe was fired after head Tom Gibson complained to his bosses that he was putting girls off lessons at Holy Cross School in New Malden, Surrey. The 6ft 2in builder said yesterday: “I couldn’t believe it. I told them it was not my fault if the girls can’t control themselves but they said the headmaster wanted me gone.”

He insisted he never did anything to stir the girls’ passions — and even kept his shirt on.

Single Joe, of Banstead, Surrey, said: “I’m muscular because of the type of work I do. But I’ve never had this problem before. It was quite intimidating.“When the girls came back they’d say, ‘Oi fit builder’ and would say they fancied me. It could get quite noisy but there was nothing I could do about it. The girls were meeting up in groups and chasing me down the corridor, shouting stuff. I certainly didn’t encourage them — even if it did boost my ego. I kept my head down and kept walking. The other builders thought it was all really funny."

Joe was employed by Hampshire firm HA & DB Kitchin Ltd, who hired him on £6 an hour via an agency. He is now looking for another job.

Head Mr Gibson was unavailable for comment at the 911-pupil school yesterday.