Met is facing race bias claim by its top Asian woman

Yasmin Rehman, a director of diversity with the force, intends to file a claim with a London employment tribunal within days claiming she has been subjected to racist bullying and victimisation.

It is another blow to Scotland Yard, which has been rocked by a race row involving Commissioner Sir Ian Blair and his third in command Tarique Ghaffur.

Ms Rehman's post of Director of Partnerships and Diversity for Territorial Policing puts her at the equivalent level to a chief superintendent in terms of civilian staff at the Met.

She has sought advice from the Metropolitan Black Police Association, the same organisation which is backing Mr Ghaffur in his multi-million-pound claim.

A friend said: "Yasmin has been one of Scotland Yard's shining stars on working with ethnic minority communities and tackling-vital issues like forced marriages and honour killings.

"She has worked very passionately on helping the police get to grips with these types of crimes.

"But she has been off sick for a year with stress-related problems and feels she has been targeted because she is Asian. Her thinking is, 'I've worked too hard to let them force me out'. "

Ms Rehman is employed by the Met at the "Band A" level, earning more than £60,000 a year. She was promoted to her post two years ago, so Sir Ian would have been aware of her appointment. Her department is based in Westminster and comes under the Met's Territorial Policing branch, headed by Assistant Commissioner Tim Godwin.

The focus of her role has been improving the force's links with ethnic communities rather than ensuring the police employ more ethnic minorities.

As one of the force's leading experts on community cohesion and domestic violence, she has spoken at conferences around the world.

A police source said: "Yasmin is very well thought of in the Met.

She is the last person you would think would end up in this situation. She is determined to bring her case against the Met. It's not a question of if this will happen, but when. That one of Scotland Yard's most successful female employees and, indeed, their head of diversity, is suing is a damning indictment on what is going on there."

A Met spokeswoman said they had not received notification that Ms Rehman was to bring a claim.

Yesterday Sir Ian "temporarily relieved" Assistant Commissioner Ghaffur of his duties. Mr Ghaffur, 53, is to be investigated by the Metropolitan Police Authority for possible misconduct for speaking publicly about his race claim against the Met.

Mr Ghaffur is taking the Met to an employment tribunal. His actions have prompted the biggest race row to hit the force since the Macpherson inquiry into the Stephen Lawrence investigation. Sir Ian said his comments were affecting the Met's "effectiveness".