A British National Party leader has won a settlement after he was fired by a high street DIY chain.

B&Q said he was sacked from his job because customers complained about being served by a racist.

Kevin Scott, regional organiser for the British National Party in the North-East, was sacked from the store, where he worked in the garden department, earlier this year.

The move came after hate mail began arriving at the store in Scotswood, Newcastle, shortly after he stood in the Gateshead Borough Council elections.

But Mr Scott, who received 185 votes in the election for the Bensham ward, vowed to take B&Q to an employment tribunal, as well as a civil court. The 36-year-old married father said the store chain was taking away his right of freedom of speech.

The tribunal service in Newcastle confirmed a settlement had been reached between the two parties with the help of concilliation service ACAS.

Mr Scott said he was unable to comment other than to confirm he had reached a "satisfactory settlement" with B&Q.

At the time of his sacking, he said: "Whether people are from the far right or far left, they should be allowed to have their own political views and that shouldn't make them unemployable."

At the time, a spokeswoman for B&Q said Mr Scott was dismissed because of complaints from customers and staff.