A Sikh police officer who claimed for £200,000 in a row over being asked to wear his turban over a helmet, has been awarded £12,000 in compensation.
PC Gurmeal Singh, 31, of Greater Manchester Police (GMP), sued the force for racial and religious discrimination after he was told to remove his turban to wear protective headgear instead during a riot training exercise.
He said he feared he would be asked to wrap material around a regular helmet to make a “crash turban” – like character Del Boy Trotter tried to sell in an episode of the hit comedy Only Fools and Horses.
The tribunal ruled Singh had been subject to “indirect discrimination” and harassment.
He was awarded £3,500 for indirect discrimination; £6,500 for harassment after suffering psychological damage, injury to feelings and personal injury; and £1,914 for loss of earnings.
After the hearing, Singh said: “I’m looking to return to work and see how GMP accommodates me.”
