Dolly the Sheep scientist in bid to relaunch race claim against Roslin

A SCIENTIST who worked on the Dolly the Sheep project has relaunched his race discrimination claim against the world-famous Roslin Institute.

Dr Prim Singh won a claim of unfair dismissal against the Edinburgh-based organisation five years ago but his discrimination allegations were rejected.

Now the 45-year-old has gone to the Court of Session to try to persuade Scotland's top judges that the employment tribunal made a mistake.

If he succeeds, Indian-born Dr Singh will start new legal proceedings against the Roslin Institute, which made headlines around the world when it created the first cloned sheep, Dolly.

Professor Ian Wilmut was appointed an OBE for leading the team that cloned the sheep from an adult cell in 1996.

Dr Singh joined the team in 1999 after moving from Cambridge to Roslin to help with their cloning studies.

During his time there Dr Singh claimed that Prof Wilmut was a bully and did not appear to accept that Asian men could have original ideas. He also said the professor had denied him the necessary resources and training for his work and stole his ideas.

But Prof Wilmut said he had been picked on by Dr Singh in e-mails demanding he be named as corresponding author on any work they did together.

Dr Singh was sacked while on sick leave in June 2004 despite never being found guilty of any misconduct, and was given no chance to plead his case.

At the Court of Session in Edinburgh Dr Singh gave evidence before Lady Paton, Lord Brodie and Lord Marnoch.

He claimed that his employers did not investigate his claims of racial discrimination. And he said the employment tribunal itself had not acknowledged the lack of investigation but had just accepted that his claims were unfounded. He claimed that the employment tribunal was biased.

Dr Singh said: "They only dealt with my credibility and not the credibility of the other witnesses. All race claims by myself were made in good faith and not falsely."

Dr Singh now works in Berlin while his family still live in Edinburgh.

He said in court: "To what extent would a man go to be with his wife and children.

"I was dismissed without a verbal or written warning."

The judges will deliver their verdict at a later date.

The Employment Tribunal Service in Scotland declined to comment.

At the original tribunal Dr Singh was awarded about 60,000 in compensation for unfair dismissal.

Prof Wilmut is currently the director of the MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine at the University of Edinburgh.

The case has resurfaced as the Roslin Institute prepares to move to a new 60 million research unit that it will share with the Scottish Agricultural College.The purpose-built centre will be located at Edinburgh University's Easter Bush Campus and will focus on improving the health and welfare of livestock.