THE vice-principal of a Muslim girl's college in East Lancashire, who claims she was ostracised for not wearing a veil, was ordered to leave after the establishment 'failed' an inspection, an employment tribunal heard.

Ghazala Khan, who alleges she was referred to as an 'outsider' at the Mohiuddin International Girls' College in Burnley and barred from certain assemblies, insists she was driven to the brink of a nervous breakdown by her treatment.

But college bosses, who deny she was ever 'vice-principal', have told the Manchester tribunal they received complaints describing her as 'rude and bad-tempered'.

Her employment was ended in May 2012 during a 'heated' meeting with college principal Mohammed Amjad Bashir and Zahir Ahmed, a director of the Birmingham-based Mohuiddin Trust which runs the college.

This followed a visit by the Bridge Schools Inspectorate, which monitors standards at religious schools, where the college was found wanting in a number of areas, the hearing was told.

Mrs Khan, who was employed for seven months and is bringing a religious discrimination claim, said Mr Bashir labelled her 'incompetent' and she offered to resign. But Mr Ahmed 'ordered her to leave'.

Under cross-examination the college's counsel, Amy Smith, said it would be the trust's case that Mrs Khan had resigned.

But she said: "That is not true - we had exams the next day. That whole week was exams. There is no way I would have left the girls willingly."

Mrs Khan and the college also clashed over claims that '99.9 per cent' of the staff and most of the students were devotees of Sheik Alaudin Siddiqui Sahbib, the Naqshbandi sufi who is the spiritual leader of the Mohiuddin Trust.

She alleges that she was not allowed into evening assemblies, during certain prayers, because she was not a member of the 'sect' and had been repeatedly called by an 'outsider' by Mr Bashir.

But Ms Smith said this was not the case, according to the staff roster, and the college had also employed Christian members of staff, a claim Mrs Khan denied.

An earlier hearing was told a fellow teacher refused to speak to her, as she did not wear a veil, and she had challenged the same tutor after he ordered all his female students to wear the niqab in his lessons.

Mrs Khan also said she had complained to Mr Ahmed about being 'overworked', having been given responsibility for administration, exams, human resources, dealing with the UK Borders Agency and even signing teachers' pay cheques.

The tribunal continues.