Immigration staff often use racially offensive language to describe ethnic minorities, an employment tribunal was told last week.

Jamil Ahmed and Raja Khan, who work in the immigration and nationality directorate at London Bridge, are suing the Home Office for racial discrimination. The Home Office is contesting the claims.

The pair told the tribunal at Croydon that colleagues regularly called black and Asian people "savages" and "spear chuckers" in their presence.

Ahmed also claimed he was repeatedly excluded from applying for jobs because of his race.

The tribunal is to hear that the complaints were internally investigated by assistant director Rolf Toolin, who demanded that the behaviour should stop. No action was taken on his recommendations.