A Muslim hospital worker has been awarded more than £41,000 by an employment tribunal after he was sacked following a year of harassment.

West Herts Hospital Trust was ordered to pay £41,300 to Mohammed Ben-Khaled for religious and sex discrimination and unfair dismissal.

Mr Ben-Khaled, originally from Algeria, had worked at the Mount Vernon Hospital in Northwood for five years before being dismissed. He claimed that his employers said that being a Muslim interfered with his work.

West Herts Hospital Trust, which was not represented at the hearing, was found to be in breach of the Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) Regulations 2003, which make it illegal to discriminate against staff on the grounds of their religion or beliefs, and the Employment Equality (Sex Discrimination) Regulations 2005, which prohibit discrimination on grounds of gender.

Mr Ben-Khaled said he had been forced to begin tribunal proceedings due to lack of co-operation on the part of the trust.