Met's ethnic watchdog to sue for 'racial bias'

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The head of the race and diversity unit at the Metropolitan Police Authority, which oversees the Met, was reported to be preparing to sue his employer for racial discrimination.

Laurence Gouldbourne, who has been in his post three years, was said by sources to be on the verge of handing in legal papers to take an Employment Tribunal case against the MPA.

The extraordinary development comes after the Standard revealed that Britain's most senior Asian officer was considering action against the Met for race bias.

The Met started talks with Assistant Commissioner Tarique Ghaffur this week in an effort to avert the crisis.

Mr Gouldbourne's action comes four years after his predecessor also accused her employers of race discrimination.

Julia Smith, the Metropolitan Police Authority's former head of race and diversity, claimed managers belittled and undermined her for three years.

Ms Smith, 52, who was the most senior black woman in the MPA, took the organisation to an employment tribunal alleging racial discrimination. The authority settled the case for a reported £100,000 days before the hearing date but the MPA strongly denied allegations of racism.

A senior civil servant has also been drawn into the race relations crisis engulfing the leadership of Scotland Yard.

Mr Ghaffur is threatening the Met with claims of a "dossier" of 30 allegations of discrimination involving senior officers and police and civil servants. The file is said to include emails and other correspondence between top Home Office civil servant, Moira Wallace, Met Commissioner Sir Ian Blair and Len Duvall, the chairman of the Metropolitan Police Authority.

Mr Ghaffur, 53, is said to be claiming that Miss Wallace and Sir Ian conspired to strip him of his responsibilitiesand sideline him from his role overseeing security for the 2012 Olympics.

Mr Ghaffur is said to be considering an an employment tribunal race claim following an email from Miss Wallace saying he would be replaced by a civil servant. Sir Ian shows no signs of backing down and is said to have vowed to show "strong leadership".