Fall into line or you're out, Blair tells Muslim race row officer

Sir Ian Blair today warned the senior officer planning a race discrimination case against the Metropolitan Police that he could be sacked.

The Commissioner ordered Britain's most senior Asian policeman to get back in line as he angrily denied claims of racism.

He summoned Assistant Commissioner Tarique Ghaffur to an emergency meeting this afternoon and warned that he was ready to act "robustly and quickly" to deal with any officer who failed to follow his commands.

His comments came as it emerged that Mr Ghaffur was preparing legal proceedings against the Commissioner alleging racial discrimination at Scotland Yard.

Speaking today at a meeting of the Metropolitan Police Authority, Sir Ian warned: "I will state here publicly that every member of the Met works to my direction and must meet my requirements. Any other position is impossible. If that doesn't occur, then I will deal with the matter robustly and quickly."

Sir Ian said he was aware of Mr Ghaffur's concerns about his role in Olympic preparation but he had not received any notification, personally or officially, of a possible employment tribunal claim.

The allegations by Mr Ghaffur, who is responsible for security at the 2012 Olympic Games, include that he was silenced over concerns about 42-day detention and sidelined by the Commissioner over key decisions relating to the Games

Sir Ian added: "I would be enormously saddened by any such event. Tarique Ghaffur is an esteemed colleague, a respected officer and role model and any such suggestion I would not speak with him is complete nonsense.

"However, I cannot accept allegations from any party, including those I have named, that any concerns of theirs can be attributed to racial motivation from this authority and or me or my colleagues."

The move by Mr Ghaffur comes in the same week that Commander Shabir Hussain, another senior Asian Met officer, took the force to a tribunal and accused the commissionerof excluding black and Asian detectives in favour of a "golden circle" of white officers.

Sir Ian said: "I believe I have had a long, honourable and occasionally blood-stained record of the championing of diversity, not perfect but always principled and persistent."

Chair of the MPA Len Duvall strenuously denied racism. He said: "I want to reassure the Authority that I have done nothing wrong, racist or otherwise, in carrying my responsibilities in the last four years.

"I believe that it is the same for any actions that have been carried by the MPA. Any claim against myself or the Authority will be vigorously contested."