Sir Ian called to race tribunal

Britain's most senior police officer has been called to give evidence at a racism tribunal.

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Ian Blair will have to defend himself in the case of three detectives wrongly accused of racist behaviour. He will be accused of needlessly pursuing the men with the allegations while he was deputy commissioner of the Met.

He has already been attacked at the hearing at Stratford Employment Tribunal for being 'transfixed' by the case of the three officers, who were eventually cleared of wrongdoing. Former Met Commissioner Lord Stevens will also be called as a witness.

Sir Ian has been called to give evidence for the Met after Detective Constable Tom Hassell, 60, acting Detective Chief Inspector Paul Whatmore, 39, and Detective Sergeant Colin Lockwood, 55, sued the force for race and sex discrimination. The three men had been suspended and taken before a disciplinary panel after a colleague, Detective Sergeant Shabnam Chaudhri, complained about their behaviour at a racial awareness training day.

In a bungled presentation on Islam Dc Hassell had referred to Muslim headwear as "tea cosies", mispronounced Shi'ites as "Shitties" and said he felt sorry for followers of the faith who fasted during Ramadan.

Although Dc Hassell apologised immediately for his mispronunciation, Ds Chaudhri complained he had been racist and that Mr Whatmore and Ds Lockwood failed to intervene.

The men were found guilty on the charge relating to the "tea cosies" remark but not punished further.

A later appeal to the Met's most senior Asian officer, Assistant Commissioner Tarique Ghaffur, cleared them of any wrongdoing.

The case continues.