Gay waiter humiliated by nipple tweak wins £21,500

A gay waiter who had his nipples tweaked by a customer at a Michelin-starred restaurant and was subjected to homophobic taunts by colleagues has won his discrimination claim.

Vincent Ma, 31, said he was humiliated by two male managers simulating sexual acts in front of him at the Yauatcha Chinese restaurant in Soho. One was alleged to have told him that his nipples were "sexy" when they were erect. And when a customer pinched Mr Ma's nipple as he served food, his boss allegedly asked him: "Did you like it?"

The manager also sang Madonna's Like A Virgin to Mr Ma before asking him if he was a virgin and suggesting he would meet a "kindred spirit" in Old Compton Street. Colleagues also made crude homophobic jibes. Chinese-born Mr Ma, who joined Yauatcha in October 2009, said he was "repulsed" by managers Imran Khaleel and Eder De Oliveira Fonseca Neto simulating sexual acts as he passed.

A panel at Central London Employment Tribunal ruled that Mr Ma suffered harassment on the grounds of sexual orientation and was constructively dismissed. He was awarded £21,500 for lost earnings and injury to feelings. The panel ruled: "The claimant's story had remained consistent, constant throughout contrasted with the respondent's witnesses shifting evidence."

Yauatcha is owned by Hakkasan Limited.