Compensation for Discrimination

The Metropolitan Police force has been told to pay a Sikh policeman £70,000 compensation for discriminating against him.

An Employment Tribunal ruled in October that Detective Sgt Gurpal Virdi was victimised because of his race when he was turned down for promotion to detective inspector in 2005.

It found his application was treated "less favourably" because he had previously taken legal action against the force.

The tribunal has paid the officer £8,779 for injury to feelings and £61,620 for loss of earnings and pensions.

The Met has appealed against the tribunal's ruling.

In the previous case, an employment tribunal ordered the Met to pay Mr Virdi £240,000 compensation in 2000 after it ruled the force had racially discriminated against him.

He was sacked after being wrongly accused of sending racist hate mail to black and Asian officers at Hanwell police station.

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James Wright from law firm Irwin Mitchell said: Whatever the outcome of the appeal brought by the Metropolitan Police, this case highlights the danger of failing to ensure acts in relation to employees are not influenced by whether those employees have complained of discrimination in the past. The principle applies not just to race discrimination, but also to discrimination on the grounds of religion and similar belief, gender, sexual orientation, disability and age. The level of Detective Sgt Virdi's award should encourage employers to consider their own policies carefully."