The row started when senior officers turned down the application of the Sikh cop to join the counter-terrorist unit saying that normal protective helmets and gasmasks would not fit over his turban and beard.

So he was given 18 months on full pay to contact manufacturers asking if they could adapt the equipment, which protects against chemical or biological attacks. But when that failed to produce a solution, he went off sick with stress.

However, the identity of the cop, serving with the West Midlands Police, has not been revealed.

A senior police officer told British tabloid ‘The Sun’: “You can’t do the job without the proper equipment but when this officer’s application was turned down, he claimed of being discriminated against.

“He was allowed to look into the problem. We reckon with his wages that cost up to 100,000 pounds over the 18 months. Then he went on the long-term sick as soon as going back to his normal police job.”

But, a spokesman for the West Midlands Police has defended the amount of money spent.

“As an employer committed to equality and diversity, we are working to try and find a solution to what is a national issue.”