London, Mar. 10 : A black recruiting officer has accused the British Royal Navy of racism after colleagues nicknamed him Robert Mugabe, a tribunal has heard.

Chief Petty Officer Andrew Antrobus, 48, told the hearing he complained to his senior officers when he was introduced as Andy AKA Robert Mugabe at a meeting.

The experienced sailor was manager of the recruiting office in Redruth, Cornwall, where he worked with colleagues from the other services.

According to The Telegraph, he claimed colleagues used the Mugabe nickname after he was appointed to the post of office manager and started running a stricter regime.

He had previously complained about an army sergeant who referred to some recruits as "black bastards", an employment tribunal in Exeter was told.

The married father is claiming racial discrimination against the Ministry of Defence, a Navy colleague Chief Petty Officer John Pinsent, and line manager Warrant Officer Robert Ewen. All three deny the claim. (ANI)