A WOMAN from Ilkley has been fired from her job after skipping work to go to the England vs Denmark Euro 2020 semi-final on Wednesday.

Nina Farooqi, 37, called in sick to her job to go down to Wembley to watch the game, but her plan was foiled after she was shown on live TV celebrating England’s first goal.

She said at half-time friends had text her to tell her she had been on TV when the goal went in, and on Thursday morning received a call from her employer telling her to “not bother coming in”.

Ms Farooqi, a football-obsessive, said while being fired was disappointing was happy with her decision and would do it all over again.

She told the Daily Telegraph: “They said they'd seen I'd been at the game, and I was honest about why I did it.

“But I didn't get any sympathy at all and they said that's it. That's their call and the consequence of what I did.

“There is a bit of regret, no one wants to get fired, but then also I would have hated the regret of missing out. I'd do it all over again.”

She had attended the game with a friend who won tickets in a work raffle, phoning in sick on Wednesday morning before jumping on a train down to London for the game.

She thought she would avoid being spotted in the crowd of 60,000 fans but was found out, with friends messaging her from all over the world saying they had seen her.

She added: “It's mixed emotions: we're through to the final, I'm still on that high, but I've also lost my job.'

“This hasn't come around since 1996, I vividly remember crying on my mum's sofa when Gareth Southgate missed his penalty, and the football fan in me just couldn't do it. Football is my life.”

After Denmark captain Simon Kjaer put the ball into his own net to level the scores in the 39th minute, cameras turned to the stands to capture the wild celebrations inside Wembley, which was when Ms Farooqi's ploy was rumbled.

Her employer, Composite Prime, said it would have let her go to the game if she had been honest with them.

Charles Taylor, director at Composite Prime, said: “It’s an exciting time for everyone in England and given the opportunity, we would have encouraged attendance to such an important football match.

"Unfortunately on this occasion our employee lied, taking one day off sick to attend the football match on Wednesday, July 7.

"This was in breach of her employment contract and so we had no choice but to take the appropriate action.

"As a business we value honesty and integrity, and we don't tolerate any employee taking advantage of our policies.

"Like many businesses will be doing across the county, our staff will be having Monday morning off to hopefully recover from celebrating an England win!”

According to her LinkedIn profile Ms Farooqi worked as a digital content coordinator for decking firm Composite Prime, based in The Grove, Ilkley, and also does freelance work, including photographing and filming professional men’s and women’s football.

England went on to win in extra-time, when Harry Kane scored on the rebound after his penalty was saved, to set up a final against Italy on Sunday at Wembley.

It's the first major final for England since the 1966 World Cup - also held at Wembley - with Gareth Southgate's men looking to write their names into English footballing histroy alongside some of the greatest to ever don the England shirt.