A jobseeker was left horrified after being branded an “odd-ball” and a “tree hugger” who “forages for mushrooms” by a prospective employer who said she should be interviewed “for a laugh”.

Anna Jacobs, from Horsmonden, applied for the role of office administrator with Tonbridge-based firm Tecomak Environmental Services.

The company, in Hadlow Road, allegedly invited Miss Jacobs to an interview in an email which contained a summary with remarks about her being “one biscuit short of a packet”.

The summary reportedly said: “Home educated odd ball. Can’t get a job since leaving uni. Forages for mushrooms.

“Difficult to assess from her CV – might be very good but equally could be a biscuit short of a packet or a left-wing loon tree hugger.

“Worth an interview if only for a laugh.”

Miss Jacobs received the reply to the job application and was subsequently asked to attend an interview before scrolling down to find the derogatory remarks.

The former university student told BBC South East Today: "This awful summary is attached and I thought how dare somebody say that about my CV and myself.

"That is basically like saying it is going to be a huge waste of time but let's do it for a laugh and make up the numbers.

"I don't want to be a number. I believe I have got a lot to offer and if that is all I am to an employer then please don't invite me to an interview because it is just wasting everyone's time."

Tecomak Environmental Services provides specialist ventilation and contamination control and advertised for an office administrator on Thursday.

A spokesman for the company said: "

“On Thursday, May 11, we invited a candidate for interview for an Administrator role at our company. Accidentally some off-the-cuff remarks about the candidate’s CV were included in this invitation.

"As a family company employing people in Tonbridge for the past 18 years we are proud of our reputation as a good and fair employer and this mistake fell below our high standards.

"We are sorry for any distress this may have caused and have apologised to the candidate and reiterated our stance that they would be welcome for an interview.

"We have also reviewed our internal procedures for assessing candidates to ensure a mistake like this could not happen again.”