An Asian salesman sacked from a Bradford computer firm today won his case for unfair dismissal.

But Gull Hussain - who said his bosses ordered him to adopt a more English-sounding name - lost his racial discrimination claim.

In a written decision following a four-day hearing, an industrial tribunal panel criticised bosses at ISA Wholesale for the way they investigated claims of gross misconduct against Mr Hussain.

He was sacked in September last year after being accused of ordering his staff to send out unsolicited goods to customers which the companies sometimes paid for without noticing they had not ordered them.

The tribunal conclusion criticised ISA Wholesale for its "perfunctory" investigation into the allegations and director Terry Betts for not reading the statements from Mr Hussain's accusers.

The tribunal also heard a statement supporting Mr Hussain's claim he would never order staff to send out unsolicited goods was removed from the evidence because of a rumour the female witness who wrote it and Mr Hussain were friends outside work .

But the panel rejected his claim he was ordered to change his name to Guy Hysan because it was more English and customers would prefer it.

The panel heard several Asian people changed their names out of choice and it threw out the racial discrimination claim. Mr Hussain , 26, of Bradford Moor, said: "I'm delighted that the tribunal found I was not guilty of any misconduct or wrongdoing - that I did nothing to warrant being dismissed.

The last nine months have been a nightmare but now I've managed to clear my name I can get on with my life."

Mr Hussain was represented at the tribunal hearing by Courtney Hay of the Northern Complainant Aid Fund. He said today: "We welcome the decision that Gull Hussain was unfairly dismissed through no fault of his own, and we will be arguing for substantial damages at the compensation hearing.

"However, we are puzzled by the tribunal's decision to reject his claim of race discrimination and we will be looking carefully at that part of the ruling".

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.