A GAY doctor has been fighting a ground-breaking discrimination case this week.

Dr Nicholas Priestley has taken management at Bury's Highbank brain injury unit to an industrial tribunal claiming he was "edged out" of his job because of his sexuality.

His claim, being backed by Gay pressure group Stonewall, follows a landmark judgement last year by a judge in the Court of Appeal, which said a gay man could claim sexual discrimination if he could prove a lesbian was treated better than him.

The 45-year-old neuro-psychologist said this week how he was told not to attend the unit's staff Christmas party because of his sexual orientation.

He said management had made comments about his behaviour during his time at the private hospital, where he was clinical director.

The case is being heard in Manchester and is expected to last until next week.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.