Estate agent wins £13,500 after refusing to wear headscarf

An estate agent who was sacked after refusing to bow to her Muslim boss's demands to wear a headscarf has been awarded more than £13,500 compensation.

Ghazala Khan, a 32-year-old non-practising Muslim, was fired less than two weeks into her job at the firm run by traditional Muslim businessman Masood Ghafoor.

She told an employment tribunal that she was intimidated by Mr Ghafoor and his cousin Shakeel for not practising their religion and not wearing a headscarf.

The graduate, who had nine years' experience as an estate agent, was told she had not been brought up a "good Muslim", the tribunal ruling found.

It added: "[Her boss] told her that, if she had been his daughter, she would still be living at home with her parents, would not be allowed to work, would have been married off a long time ago and would not have been given so much freedom."

The tribunal in Leeds ruled Mr Ghafoor had discriminated against her on sex, religion and race.