A sheriff in the US has been sacked after ordering five inmates to dance to an Usher song.

Summit County sheriff Dominic Martucci was fired for allegedly getting five prisoners to jig to the tune and in return they were given additional privileges such as the use of a microwave or a phone, the Akron Beacon Journal reports.

The publication revealed one of the inmates performed dance move, the worm, and another reportedly did the robot so that he was allowed to use the phone to contact his relatives.

Investigators said the deputy admitted he had made a mistake, but said he was just attempting to ease tension in the prison.