Postal worker wins £200,000 over abuse

A postal worker who suffered years of systematic racist abuse and threats from colleagues today won almost £200,000 in compensation.

Mahmood Siddiqui, 59, was branded a "spear-chucking raghead", was warned "we know where you live", his car was vandalised and threats were made against his wife and children.

An employment tribunal found there was a "vicious and sly" fouryear campaign to hound Pakistan-born Mr Siddiqui out of the sorting office in Harlow, where he was the only non-white worker on night shifts.

He was routinely sworn at, bullied and called "Paki" by fellow workers who daubed graffiti which included the message "Siddiqui, hang him."

One worker ignited a cigarette lighter in front of him and threatened to burn him.

Despite Mr Siddiqui's repeated complaints of harassment, bosses turned a blind eye. It was only when they installed a hidden camera that some of the culprits were caught and disciplined.

By then Mr Siddiqui was suffering severe stress and retired through ill-health in 2002. Mr Siddiqui, from Harlow, was awarded £104,142 in damages against Royal Mail for race discrimination. The compensation came on top of £46,400 awarded by the tribunal panel at Woburn Place at an earlier hearing.

The panel is set to award Mr Siddiqui interest on the damages and legal costs later today, which could add up to £50,000.

His claim was first heard by Stratford Employment Tribunal, which ruled Royal Mail took "no effective action" to help him until he and his wife met bosses to complain. An internal company review found managers had by then failed to act on at least 10 of his abuse claims.