A firearms officer who guarded Tony Blair and members of the Royal family has won an employment tribunal after superiors wanted him off the unit and he was branded "just a P**i".

Pc Nadeem Saddique has won his case against Cleveland Police, after his claims that he found out an inspector had referred to him in a conversation as a "black c**t" were backed up by the tribunal panel.

The 44-year-old Middlesbrough-born officer, who joined the force in 1991, told the tribunal a firearms colleague was found to be displaying an English Defence League sticker on the holster of his weapon.

The badge, which a superior threw away, made reference to Muslims and a Crusade, the tribunal found.

Pc Saddique wrote a complaint about it to his inspector in November 2011, saying: "I wonder why they feel so confident in the work environment to make such comments and display robust racism.

"One has to come to the conclusion that this is an environment where they feel so comfortable as no-one challenges it and in most cases it is positively encouraged."

The tribunal found that the inspector believed the Pc with the sticker on his holster was not racist, but motivated by patriotism and stupidity - "possibly both".

Pc Saddique trained as an Authorised Firearms Officer in 2001 and five years later he became a VIP Close Protection Officer.

He was the only Asian member of the force's firearm's unit and felt he was unfairly treated when he was removed from VIP duties.

Pc Saddique claimed a sergeant confided in him at a gym in 2008 or 2009 that an inspector told another officer: "I'll get that black c*** out of firearms, watch."

The officer apparently agreed and allegedly replied: "Who does he think he is, he is just a P**i."

The comments were overheard during a night out in the Black Bull pub, Yarm, Teesside, when Pc Saddique was not present.

The tribunal panel said that evidence was hearsay, but that they believed Pc Saddique was telling the truth.

The officer, from Stockton, Teesside, began an employment tribunal against the force in 2011 - claiming race discrimination, harassment and bullying.

He settled with his employer without receiving any money, on the understanding that he would be given access to training and he would regain his VIP protection status which he felt he had unfairly lost, when he returned to work.

But he felt that, since then, a personal development plan had not been properly implemented.

Chief Constable Jacqui Cheer gave evidence at the long-running case, and she said after the result: "Today I received the findings of the Employment Tribunal that examined the claims of victimisation and discrimination brought by Pc Saddique.

"The unanimous judgment of the Tribunal is that the majority of those claims were well founded.

"I take these findings extremely seriously and all of the issues within the Tribunal's judgment will be quickly and carefully considered."

Pc Saddique was unavailable for comment.

Family friend Sultan Alam, a former Cleveland Police officer who won an £800,000 case after he was "stitched up" by fellow officers and wrongfully jailed, said: "This is very damaging.

"There will be a remedy hearing to decide on the financial ramifications."