Mr Virdi claims he is a victim of his own notoriety

The Met's lawyers said there was no hidden agenda to "hinder" Det Sgt Gurpal Virdi in his career progression.

Mr Virdi, 48, is suing the force for racial discrimination and victimisation after he was turned down for promotion.

Clive Sheldon, for the Met, said Mr Virdi failed because he did not have the required experience for the post.

"A friend described Mr Virdi as seeing everything as a conspiracy against him," Mr Sheldon said in closing arguments at the Kingsway Employment Tribunal, central London.

At almost every turn in this process, Mr Virdi is singled out for less favourable treatment Mohinderpal Sethi Mr Virdi's counsel

Mr Virdi has brought the case against his employers after he was turned down for promotion to detective inspector (DI) in 2005. He claims he was victimised because of previous litigation.

Mr Virdi won damages and an apology from the Met in 2002 after he was wrongly accused of sending racist mail at a police station in west London.

But he believes his previous claims mean he has been treated "less favourably".

Mr Sheldon argued that Mr Virdi's promotion application failed because he did not have sufficient experience in leading investigations.

"Mr Virdi's application failed not because of his race or previous applications to this tribunal but because he fails to meet the criteria.

'Notoriety'

"There was no conspiracy to 'do his legs in' as Mr Virdi has alleged."

Mr Virdi's counsel, Mohinderpal Sethi, claimed Mr Virdi's application was treated differently to his fellow applicants because of the officer's "notoriety".

"At almost every turn in this process, Mr Virdi is singled out for different, special, less favourable treatment," he said.

He said the fact that some of the most senior officers in the force got involved in the process is evidence of Mr Virdi being discriminated against.