Payout over discrimination claim

By Steve Brodie
BBC Points West Home Affairs Correspondent

Mr Stewart was stopped three times at the airport.

A security firm working at Bristol Airport has paid out £4,000 in compensation, following claims of racial discrimination.

ICTS, which vets passengers flying with US firm Continental Airlines, handed out the cash in an out-of- court settlement to Cedric Stewart, from Bristol.

Mr Stewart said he was targeted because of the colour of his skin, although the company strongly denied its staff had acted in any racist way.

Mr Stewart said a holiday trip to New York had turned into a nightmare and a humiliation.

'Compensation claim'

In September 2006, he and a companion were repeatedly challenged by staff working for ICTS.

Mr Stewart said he and his companion were targeted because they were the only black passengers in the queue. Mr Stewart said they were questioned in front of other passengers at the check-in.

He said the two men were interrogated a second time, as their belongings were tipped onto a table.

He said the men were stopped a third time, as they reached the departure gate at the airport, in full view of other passengers. The personal items belonging to the men were emptied onto the floor.

For the last two years, Mr Stewart had been fighting for compensation and an apology for the way he said he was treated.

At an initial hearing at Bristol County Court, lawyers for ICTS claimed they could not give evidence because it would threaten homeland security in the US.

The judge rejected their plea and said it was a matter for the British courts.

ICTS agreed to pay Cedric £4,000 and meet his legal costs, after a third hearing.

'Common criminal'

Mr Stewart said he hoped others would benefit.

He said: "I was treated like a common criminal for absolutely no reason at all. You have to judge people individually for who they are.

"Them [ICTS] paying out, means they will make changes and they will make sure they don't have to pay out another £4,000 to someone else out there because of workers not carrying out their job, in the way they're supposed to."

ICTS had told the BBC that its security operations were so secret it could not be interviewed.