A POSTMAN was sacked after mimicking the accent of Asian colleagues, a tribunal heard.

But Christopher Eccles, who worked in Blackburn, thought he was "having a laugh" and could not believe that the incidents had caused offence and gone so far, the hearing was told.

Mr Eccles has launched a claim for unfair dismissal at an industrial tribunal in Manchester yesterday.

Royal Mail bosses ruled that Mr Eccles' conduct at the Blackburn sorting office in Canterbury Street, was "totally unacceptable" and sacked him for gross misconduct.

The tribunal was told that Mr Eccles' case had sparked a wide-ranging investigation into bullying at the sorting office, and a number of cases of alleged bullying were now being considered by management.

News of Mr Eccles' dismissal had prompted colleagues to stage a brief walkout at the delivery office, the hearing was told.

A sorting office boss said Mr Eccles, from Blackburn, was sacked after telling bosses he would not speak to his Asian colleagues if he returned to work.

Royal Mail counsel Steve Peacock told the hearing that Mr Eccles was first warned about his conduct in April, 2006.

Mr Peacock said Mr Eccles was overheard mimicking the accent of colleague Arifamed Mallu.

This offended fellow worker Abdul Mussa who complained to management, the hearing was told. Acting manager Riaz Khan was said to have "counselled" Mr Eccles about his behaviour and told him it was inappropriate.

Later that year a new delivery manager, Mark Dudgeon from Burnley, was appointed.

On his first day at work one of his deputies, Steve Chadwick, reported to him that he had overheard Mr Eccles and another postal worker, Derek Slater, mimicking the Asian accent of colleague Farid Patel, the tribunal was told.

This incident was again witnessed by Mr Mussa, who reported it to bosses once more, Mr Peacock said.

Both Mr Eccles and Mr Slater were suspended on full pay in July pending an investigation which later ruled that Mr Eccles should be dismissed for gross misconduct. During his interview as part of this investigation, the hearing was told that Mr Eccles said he "had just been having a laugh and could not believe it had gone this far".

The decision to dismiss him was upheld by Erica Wilkinson, Royal Mail Appeals manager in August.

Anisa Niaz, representing Mr Eccles, claims that Royal Mail had failed to make clear in April that such behaviour was unacceptable by the company.

She has also suggested that the cases of Mr Eccles and Mr Slater, who was not dismissed, had not been treated equally.

Delivery manager Mr Dudgeon, giving evidence, said Mr Slater had shown some degree of remorse for his actions.

But Mr Eccles had made it clear that if he returned to work that he would not speak to "them", referring to Asian colleagues.

Mr Eccles has also denied an allegation that he referred to Mr Mussa as a "black ********", the hearing was told.

The tribunal heard that a number of other allegations of racial harassment had been made by Abdul Mussa who had complained about Mr Eccles on two occasions.

(Proceeding).