THE former head of a racial equality council told for the first time last night how she won a tribunal against the organisation - for racial discrimination.

Surinder Dale, an ex-director of Darlington and Durham County Racial Equality Council, took action after she suffered months of victimisation by her employer and was dismissed from her job after complaining of racism.

The mother-of-two, who has since left the North-East, said the experience had devastated her and ruined her life.

An employment tribunal in Newcastle found she had been humiliated, intimidated and victimised throughout her job with the racial equality council.

In one instance she was branded a "Sikh bitch". The tribunal found she had been racially discriminated against because of her Indian religion.

The council, which has offices in Darlington and Durham City, is a registered charity that states its mission is to work towards the elimination of racial discrimination.

It provides support and advice to hundreds of people in the North-East who have experienced racial harassment, discrimination and race-related problems.

Ms Dale, a social worker, told The Northern Echo last night: "It took every ounce of my character to oppose them. This was a racial equality council fighting to eradicate racial discrimination, yet they were doing it themselves.

"It was a nightmare and a very traumatic experience. I suffered and my children suffered.

"I was called names and told they hated Sikhs. I sent a letter to them saying it wreaked of racial discrimination and racism. I received a letter saying I was being dismissed from my post.

"I loved the work, but now I just feel dead inside. I have lost my self-confidence and I am scared to work with other community projects, especially with ethnic minorities."

Ms Dale worked at the council for a year until May 2002 when her post was terminated and she began tribunal proceedings funded by the Transport and General Workers Union.

An employment tribunal in March last year found in her favour, and she was awarded £30,395 for racial discrimination and victimisation with costs, and £7,646 for breach of contract. Darlington and Durham County Racial Equality Council appealed against the decision at the employment appeal tribunal in London in January, but apart from amendments to the size of the award - reduced to £33,062 - the appeal failed.

A subsequent application for a further appeal has since been refused, and discussions are on-going with solicitors over how the organisation will pay the money.

The employment tribunal found there was an overwhelming case of continued intimidation, that she was demeaned and undermined, and the root cause of which was her ethnicity.

It said Pat Poinen, the former chairwoman of the council and now vice-chair, made a number of derogatory remarks about her.

After Ms Dale complained about her treatment, the council set about terminating her employment as quickly as possible.

The tribunal judgement said: "It is clear the applicant has suffered a profound personal effect because of the way she was treated. The treatment of the applicant and the attitude of the executive committee to the applicant was unprofessional as well as being racial discriminatory.

"The applicant will no doubt have to, for future employment, explain her dismissal by a race equality council which is there to promote racial harmony.

"The treatment of the applicant continued throughout her employment. It was persistent and sustained."

The council failed to represent itself during the hearing even though, the tribunal said, it was a public-funded body well used to helping racially discriminated people in the courts.

Ms Dale, who kept a diary of the victimisation she suffered, only now feels able to talk about what happened.

She said: "You suffer discrimination in the wider community, you can't get away from it. Then you get together with other communities to try and work against this, but because you come from all different parts of the world you get into tribalism. To deal with that is worse."

In a statement, Darlington and Durham County Racial Equality Council said: "The tribunal relates to a situation that arose more than two years ago and involves matters that we still would dispute.

"However, while we were disappointed with its outcome - and that of the appeal - we have moved on, put those matters behind us and are concentrating on addressing other issues that are of current and immediate concern.

"As a responsible organisation, however the DDCREC sought to learn from this experience.

"We looked closely at the circumstances involved, examined our procedures and protocols and have undergone developments that make the changes of anything like this ever arising again highly remote."