Sikh policeman rejected 12 times by 'racist' force set to win five-figure compensation sum

PC Sangram Singh-Bhacker is now set to win a five-figure damages award following a tribunal verdict which found Greater Manchester Police unreasonably blocked his transfer to the force.

Mr Singh-Bhacker, who comes from an Indian family in Manchester, had been trying to join the city's police for nearly eighteen years.

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He had served with five other forces in England but Greater Manchester Police (GMP) repeatedly refused to allow him to transfer to work in his home city.

One rejection letter from the head of personnel at the force, Andrew Marston, said: "I am not prepared to consider you as a potential transferee with the GMP now or in the future."

Mr Singh-Bhacker, 40, told The Times: "I had had my suspicions over the years and that letter confirmed it.

"I thought it was personal and racial. I decided to go to an employment tribunal because that was the only way I was going to get any answers."

The tribunal ruled that Mr Singh-Bhacker had suffered racial discrimination, and will decide on compensation next month.

In its verdict, the tribunal noted that he was a qualified, physically fit officer who had been accepted by the Wiltshire, Merseyside, West Yorkshire and Cheshire forces, as well as British Transport Police, his current employer.

Yet Manchester police had blocked his applications despite a white officer of similar age and experience being allowed to transfer into the force.

In its written judgment the tribunal expressed shock at some of the evidence presented by the police force and said it had been puzzled by the reasons given for not employing Mr Singh-Bhacker.

The force had given a variety of reasons — including poor health — and cast doubt on his integrity at the hearing.

The tribunal said it was "surprised that the respondent (GMP) has seen fit to come and impugn the claimant's honesty and integrity without producing documentation to support this".

Mr Marston, who raised the issue of integrity, was heavily criticised.

The tribunal said that it "did not find him to be a convincing witness".

Some of Mr Singh-Bhacker's applications had been refused with either no reason given or partial explanations.

The ruling said: "The respondent had changed the reasons for refusing the claimant on so many occasions that he was indeed in a 'Catch-22' situation."

Mr Singh-Bhacker, married with two sons, said that the judgment marked an end to his battle and that he would no longer try to join the Manchester force.

"I love my city. I wanted to work in the city as a policeman, to be close to my family and especially my mother, who was ill for a long time until she died last year."

He added that he had experienced racism during most of his police career.

He said: "Racism still exists in police organisations. Diversity courses won't erase it but they do educate people.

"In some cases, however, they can teach racists how not to get caught."

The GMP said that it was "disappointed and unhappy" with the tribunal's finding.

A spokesman said: "We actively encourage applications from minority ethnic communities."