A former personal assistant to Lady Archer felt that she was being "victimised" after making allegations to police about Lord Archer's diaries being burned, an employment tribunal has heard.

Jane Williams, 49, of Ickleton near Saffron Walden, Essex, worked for Lady Archer, 57, at the Archer family home in Grantchester, Cambridgeshire, for 13 years until she was dismissed a year ago.

She told the tribunal in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, she felt that she was dismissed because of her statement to police.

The tribunal, at which Ms Williams is claiming unfair dismissal, has heard she made a statement to police shortly before the trial of Lord Archer, 62, her employer's husband.

Ms Williams said she did take documents

He was jailed for four years for perjury in July last year after a jury found that he had lied during a 1987 libel trial.

Lady Archer said Ms Williams was dismissed after refusing a sign a confidentiality agreement, stealing confidential information, trying to sell stories to the press and writing disparaging e-mails.

Ms Williams told the tribunal she had taken documents which she felt would support her claims of unfair dismissal.

"I had taken documents which I believed would be helpful to support my case that I was being removed from my job because of what I had said in the statement I made to the police," she said.

I am afraid I didn't trust her (Lady Archer's) motives

Jane Williams

She insisted that she had not breached any employment contract and had never profited from selling stories to the press.

Ms Williams insisted that she had agreed not to discuss confidential information when she began working for Lady Archer.

She had not wanted to sign a confidentiality agreement because she did not think it necessary.

"After discussing it with my solicitor, I was not happy about it," she said.

"The fact that it had become quite plain that I was being levered out didn't make me very comfortable about agreeing to sign anything.

"I am afraid I didn't trust her motives."

Ms Williams said she had been approached by a journalist and she had also had discussions with publicity agent Max Clifford who had set up meetings with journalists from the News of the World and Daily Mail newspapers.

'Totally detrayed' In a written statement to the tribunal Lady Archer said Miss Williams's behaviour had left her feeling totally betrayed.

"I tolerated below-par performance for a number of years because I was conscious that she had difficulties in her personal life.

"It is hard to explain how hurt and angry I felt to discover that through all that time Jane had been taking away information from my home and was prepared to now use it to make money through newspapers."

The panel is expected to deliver its verdict on Friday.