Boss apologises for meatball sacking

A manager in Germany has apologised for sacking his personal assistant after she ate a meatball from a buffet she had prepared for the boss and his guests.

The woman, identified as Magdalene H, worked for the North Rhine-Westphalian building association in Dortmund for 34 years but was fired after she took two rolls and a 'Frikadelle' German meatball, The Local reports.

Building association head Hermann Schulte-Hiltrop told the Bild newspaper: "I have apologised for the human cruelty of the dismissal and offered to reach an agreement.

"We are certain that we can reach an amicable understanding outside of the court."

After Schulte-Hiltrop expressed his "regret" in an open letter, the secretary's lawyer Wolfgang Pinkepank told Deutsche Welle that he did not know if Magdalene had accepted the apology.

"The goal of my client continues to be to resume her employment," he added.