'No substance' in Hussain's claims against Met : Yard

London, Sep 2: One of the two senior Asian officers suing the Metropolitan Police for racial discrimination has lost his claim after alleging that a 'golden circle' of white officers had been chosen to run Britain's largest force. Commander Shabir Hussain, 45, who is one of the highest-ranked ethnic minority officers in the country, brought an employment tribunal case alleging he had been repeatedly overlooked for promotion by Sir Ian Blair, the Met's commissioner, because 'my face did not fit and did not fit because I am not white'.

But The Independent says that after a hearing last month which heard evidence from Sir Ian that the blocking of promotion for an Asian officer by him would have been an 'extraordinary aberration', Hussain's claim for racial discrimination and unlawful deduction of earnings was thrown out.

The judgment is a significant victory for Sir Ian, who is facing a catalogue of damaging race claims from Assistant Commissioner Tarique Ghaffur, including allegations that the commissioner sidelined him from further promotion and sought to oust him from Scotland Yard.

The Yard said the employment tribunal had found there was 'no substance' to Hussain's claims.

A spokesman said: "We are pleased to be vindicated of racially discriminating against Commander Hussain and we are disappointed that he felt it necessary to bring this case".

ANI