Police bring out big guns

Strathclyde have brought the might of their legal services against two legally unrepresented men who have lodged Sex Discrimination claims against them.

The two men had their applications to become police officers rejected because of colour vision abnormality and Strathclyde Police are seeking to prevent the cases being tested before a full hearing of an employment tribunal.

At a preliminary hearing in the Employment Tribunal, Glasgow, Strathclyde Police used the "public purse" to bring in Advocate Peter Grant-Hutchison to assist their own Legal Services Manager, in an endeavour to prevent their claims being heard.

Peter Grant-Hutchison, a specialist in Employment Law and former Labour candidate for the Eastwood, is also a part-time Sheriff and holds several other significant legal positions.

The two men would have been acceptable for employment in other Scottish and UK police forces. An employment tribunal in England has previously questioned the need for identification of shades of colour in general police work.

The case continues.