A Romanian worker launched a one-man protest outside a car wash after he said the firm failed to pay him his wages.

Petro Leascu says he was lured to Tenterden after replying to a promising job advert on Gumtree for Tenterden Car Wash, but quit after seven days because of the conditions.

The firm is located in the car park next to Waitrose and shoppers were greeted by the sight of the 39-year-old with his suitcase containing all his possessions, holding up a makeshift placard bearing the words: ‘I worked for this car wash. No pay!’

Father-of-four Petro usually works in the construction industry in London and is registered for tax and National Insurance, but due to the Christmas close-down he sought employment elsewhere.

He said: “I worked at this car wash for seven days and was paid £110 to cover my food and accommodation, but was not paid the £6.75 an hour I was promised after that.

“I worked so hard for long days in the cold and I was always wet from washing the cars. I said to the boss that I needed a short rest for lunch but I was only allowed toilet breaks.

“Customers gave tips but I never saw any of that money.

“I told the boss I wanted to leave because of the conditions but he refused to pay me for the hours I’d worked.”

Petro said: “I’m standing outside the car wash because I want to warn other workers about this so that it doesn’t happen to them.”

Boss Alex Elezi denied Petro’s claims and said that he had managed the car wash for nine years without complaint from any of his workers who were treated well.

He said: “In any job you work a week in hand and Petro would have been given all his wages if he had given me a week’s notice like he was asked to do at the beginning, but he just quit.”

Alex added that customers just paid a price for their cars to be cleaned depending on how dirty they were and that the work was by quotation so there were no tips.

The car wash boss paid Petro £100 to settle the dispute and he left the forecourt area, but the Romanian father said: “I believe in this country and have always worked hard so I’m disappointed about how I have been treated.”