London: A Pakistan-origin postman who suffered eight years of racist abuse and threats from colleagues at a Royal Mail sorting office in London, has won more than Rs 1.42 crore in compensation.

Fifty nine-year-old Mahmood Siddiqui was branded a "spear-chucking rag head" and had threats made against him and his wife and children, an employment tribunal was told.

Siddiqui was yesterday (May 25, 2004) awarded 178,542 Pounds (over Rs 1.42 crore) compensation for racial discrimination from the Royal Mail. It included 104,142 Pounds for loss of earnings, plus 20,000 Pounds in interest and 8,000 Pounds legal costs.

The tribunal was told that he was routinely sworn at, bullied and called a "Paki" by other workers at the office in Harlow, Essex, in an attempt to make him "seek a transfer or possibly resign".

On one occasion a white worker used a lighter in front of Siddiqui and threatened to burn him. His car was also vandalised. Siddiqui, who was the only non-white worker on the night shift, repeatedly complained about the behaviour that started in 1994, but his managers turned a blind eye.

An internal review found that managers had failed to act on allegations of abuse on at least ten occasions.

The Woburn Place tribunal in Central London ruled that the company took "no effective action of any sort" to help Siddiqui. Only when they installed a hidden camera were some of the culprits caught and disciplined.

However, by then Siddiqui was suffering from stress and he had to retire in 2002.