A VIP firearms protection officer who won an employment tribunal after he was branded "just a P**i" was saddened he had to bring the case against his force, his wife has said.

Pc Nadeem Saddique, who guarded Tony Blair and members of the Royal family, has won his case against Cleveland Police, after his claims he found out an inspector had referred to him in a conversation as a "black c**t" were backed up by the tribunal panel.

He is still a serving officer and has not been given permission to speak to the media about the case.

But his wife Kim issued a statement to thank family and friends for their support, as well as colleagues who stood up for him.

She said it was "never his intention" to go to a tribunal, but he had to after experiencing 10 years of difficulties and exhausted internal avenues, which included speaking to two chief constables, without success.

Mrs Saddique said: "It has been a long and difficult process which has saddened us both and taken its toll.

"Thank you to all of those who supported us."

The 44-year-old Middlesbrough-born officer, who joined the force in 1991, told the tribunal a firearms colleague displayed 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 heard 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 in 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 since then that a personal development plan had not been properly implemented.

Chief Constable Jacqui Cheer gave evidence at the long-running case, and said afterwards: "I take these findings extremely seriously and all of the issues within the Tribunal's judgement will be quickly and carefully considered."

Some colleagues branded Pc Saddique a security risk because of his Pakistani heritage, the tribunal heard.

His lawyer, Clare Parkinson, of the firm Slater and Gordon, said: "It's extremely disappointing that Mr Saddique was discriminated against in this way.

"He was a firearms officer entrusted with protecting a Prime Minister and members of the royal family yet he was dubbed a security threat and racially discriminated against by some of his colleagues because he is of Pakistani heritage.

"Cleveland Police need to take this tribunal ruling very seriously and ensure this does not happen again."