A police employee who alleged he was sacked for believing psychics could solve crimes was not discriminated against, a tribunal has found.
Alan Power, a police law trainer, accused Greater Manchester Police of sacking him in 2008 because of his spiritual beliefs.
Power won an initial ruling, which stated his views should be seen as a faith, but a tribunal has now found the police force did not dismiss him unfairly.
The tribunal heard that Power had taken on the role of an arrested shoplifter during a training exercise at Bruche police training college in 2004, but became visibly aroused during the frisking process.
A sergeant at Merseyside Police who was present at the training session vowed never to use Power again and Cheshire Constabulary made a similar decision based on his “inappropriate behaviour”, the BBC reported.
The information only came to light in October 2008 after Power, who denied the allegations, secured a job as a specialist trainer and a co-ordinator with Greater Manchester Police.
Power was sacked three weeks later, with the force citing his “current work in the psychic field” as a reason.
The assistant chief officer at Greater Manchester Police, Julia Rogers, said: “This matter has never been about Mr Power’s beliefs and we vehemently deny any claim he was discriminated against on those or any other grounds.
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“Greater Manchester Police welcomes all races and religions and employs and actively recruits people with diverse beliefs and from many different ethnic backgrounds.”
Earlier this month a judge found an employee’s environmental views should be classed as a belief and therefore protected under the Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) Regulations 2003.
