A Bradford transport company was ordered to pay nearly £10,000 to an asylum seeker from Rwanda after an employment tribunal ruled he had suffered racial discrimination.

The Leeds Employment Tribunal yesterday heard that 33-year-old Vincent Murenzi worked at Speed Logistics Ltd in Bradford as a labourer and forklift truck driver between 2002 and 2004.

Mr Murenzi fled Rwanda in 1994 because of the war and came to England two-and-a-half years ago.

Mr Murenzi, from Bradford, told the tribunal he was often subjected to racial abuse and was punched in the stomach by his employer Ishfaq Ali, a director of the company.

Mr Murenzi said: "I was scared to stay in Bradford; I was scared for my life. He sacked people every day."

Mr Ali walked out of the Employment Tribunal an hour after it started, claiming Mr Murenzi and other witnesses were lying.

Giving evidence, former employee Mohammed Sajad said he had heard about Mr Ali using violent and threatening behaviour at the workplace and has witnessed racial discrimination.

Mr Sajad said: "Mr Ali liked to brag about sacking people. He liked to have a whipping boy. Vincent was treated worse than other people because he did not speak good English."

Another witness, Robert Fowler, said he had witnessed foul racial abuse towards employees including Mr Murenzi and had heard Mr Ali threaten the worker's life.

Julie O'Hara, chairman of the Employment Tribunal, said: "We unanimously uphold the applicant's claim of racial discrimination and that of unlawful deductions from his wages."

Mr Murenzi was awarded £891.82 for unlawful deductions from his wages; £7,000 for injuries to feelings under the Race Discrimination Act and £2,000 for aggravated damages.