FITNESS fanatic Laura Church has been dismissed from her job with Gillingham Football Club after sending midnight text messages to a player.

Ms Church, from Hempstead, near Gillingham, joined the club as a nutrition expert and fitness coach last month.

But chairman Paul Scally sacked her for sending defender Chris Hope a message saying he was a "brilliant" player but the Miss Universe runner-up claims she was sacked for being too fit.

Her story made headlines in national newspapers during the week. Ms Church, 40, said she felt the wives were jealous of her and spent a lot of time talking behind her back.

"I had been working self-employed as a personal fitness trainer and gave up my business and clients when Gillingham headhunted me. It seems incredible that I'm now out of a job because of these women's insecurities," she told the London Evening Standard.

"We'd beaten Canvey Island 7-0 in a pre-season friendly. When I got home at midnight I texted him, saying: 'Brilliant game, well done. You're a brilliant player.' I didn't think anything of it boosting players' confidence is all part of my job but things went berserk."

Hope's wife Lisa did not appreciate the midnight message and rang Ms Church the next morning to complain and allegedly said her husband "had a big enough ego as it was".

She then complained to club bosses. Mr Scally confirmed the message caused upset and asked Ms Church, who was a member of the British judo team for 10 years, to leave her £2,000-a-month job.

Ms Church, who has a 13-year-old daughter Hayley, owned a gym but discovered working with people on a one-to-one basis was more satisfying.

She developed her personal fitness business and worked with clients including professional athletes, footballers, singers and models.

Her move to Gillingham was hailed as a leap into the 21st century for the Division 1 club.

At the time, first team coach Wayne Jones welcomed her appointment and said the club was following in the footsteps of Premiership teams. Now it has turned sour and Ms Church is seeking legal advice.