A SOLDIER who is due to make legal history today advised East Lancashire Asians not to join the Army.

Nasar Khan, 33, has spoken out after claiming he was subjected to a decade of racial abuse.

He is due to break legal ground when an industrial tribunal hears his race discrimination claim in the first case of its kind.

Today, in an exclusive interview with the Lancashire Evening Telegraph, he said: "The army is 20 or 30 years behind the rest of society when it comes to race relations issues.

"The Ministry of Defence (MOD) recently spent £20 million on recruitment but there is no way I would advise any young Asians from East Lancashire to join after what I have experienced. "I am still proud of being British. I was born and brought up in Blackburn, as was my brother who is also in the Army.

"But from the day I took my oath of allegiance in the Army I suffered from racism and I hope, if my case is successful, this will go towards changing the situation." Nasar claims he has received racist mail and phone calls at his home in Wythenshawe, Manchester and has informed the military police.

He returned to Britain with his wife and three children from his NATO posting in Germany in the spring.

In August he leaves the forces because of a crippling back injury sustained while training with the SAS in 1993.

An MOD spokesman said: "We are aware of the allegations, but while the tribunal is ongoing there in nothing we can say."

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