Sir Ian Blair was facing a battle to survive as Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police last night after Britain's most senior Asian officer publicly accused him of racial discrimination. Assistant Commissioner Tarique Ghaffur, the third most senior officer at Scotland Yard, said he would take the force to an employment tribunal in a case that would name Sir Ian and others. Mr Ghaffur claimed he was discriminated against "over a long period of time" and "victimised" by other Met commanders after his grievances were made public earlier this year. His allegations of racial and religious discrimination will increase pressure on Sir Ian ahead of next month's inquest into the fatal shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes during a bungled anti-terror operation on the Tube. If the court rules that the innocent Brazilian was killed because of systemic failures within the Met, it would be widely seen as making Sir Ian's position untenable.
Sir Ian Blair was facing a battle to survive as Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police last night after Britain's most senior Asian officer publicly accused him of racial discrimination.
Assistant Commissioner Tarique Ghaffur, the third most senior officer at Scotland Yard, said he would take the force to an employment tribunal in a case that would name Sir Ian and others. Mr Ghaffur claimed he was discriminated against "over a long period of time" and "victimised" by other Met commanders after his grievances were made public earlier this year.
His allegations of racial and religious discrimination will increase pressure on Sir Ian ahead of next month's inquest into the fatal shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes during a bungled anti-terror operation on the Tube. If the court rules that the innocent Brazilian was killed because of systemic failures within the Met, it would be widely seen as making Sir Ian's position untenable.
The high number of foreign language schools in the area would undoubtedly have been another factor in Mohammed's decision to come to Hastings. With around 35,000 overseas students arriving there every year, he was almost certain to form some lasting friendships, and unlikely to be lonely or bored.Yet five weeks after his arrival in the UK, and a week before he was due to fly home to rejoin his family in Qatar, Mohammed al-Majed lay bleeding to death on a street corner, the victim of a racially motivated assault by a gang of white youths. He died in hospital the following day, alone, without a member of his family at his bedside.What Mohammed and his family did not realise when he set off for the UK is that every year an inordinately high number of race-related attacks are reported in Hastings, and that relations between the foreign language students and the locals are far from cordial.In the space of just three years, almost 100 foreign students have been attacked in the town, including physical assault and robbery, during April and August, when the language schools are busiest. Since many minor incidents are likely to go unreported, and the figures do not account for those who stay in Hastings at other times of the year, the real story could in fact be much worse.
The high number of foreign language schools in the area would undoubtedly have been another factor in Mohammed's decision to come to Hastings. With around 35,000 overseas students arriving there every year, he was almost certain to form some lasting friendships, and unlikely to be lonely or bored.
Yet five weeks after his arrival in the UK, and a week before he was due to fly home to rejoin his family in Qatar, Mohammed al-Majed lay bleeding to death on a street corner, the victim of a racially motivated assault by a gang of white youths. He died in hospital the following day, alone, without a member of his family at his bedside.
What Mohammed and his family did not realise when he set off for the UK is that every year an inordinately high number of race-related attacks are reported in Hastings, and that relations between the foreign language students and the locals are far from cordial.
In the space of just three years, almost 100 foreign students have been attacked in the town, including physical assault and robbery, during April and August, when the language schools are busiest. Since many minor incidents are likely to go unreported, and the figures do not account for those who stay in Hastings at other times of the year, the real story could in fact be much worse.
