A SPIRITUALIST sacked by police after he said psychics should be used to help solve crimes has won a landmark court ruling.

Alan Power claimed psychics could contact people after death and said his beliefs stemmed back to childhood when he saw 'ghosts'.

The 62-year-old, who trained special constables, was sacked by Greater Manchester Police last year over his work with other forces and his `current work in the psychic field'.

A judge in Manchester had previously ruled that his beliefs amounted to being part of a religion. Now an appeal court judge has backed the ruling and dismissed an appeal by the police authority. Mr Power will now be able to go ahead with a claim for religious discrimination at an employment tribunal.

Mark Hill, QC for the police authority, said the ruling could open the floodgates to similar claims. Mr Power, from Birkenhead, was a civilian member of staff who trained GMP special constables during October last year.

He has been a member of a spiritualist church for 30 years.

Respect

At the initial court hearing in Manchester Judge Peter Russell said: "I am satisfied that, in common with other spiritualists, the claimant's beliefs that there is life after death and that the dead can be contacted through mediums are worthy of respect in a democratic society."

He said the case had merit because his spiritualist views have `sufficient cogency, seriousness, cohesion and importance' to be covered by the Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) Regulations 2003.

But Mr Hill QC, argued at yesterday's appeal hearing in London that Judge Russell's findings were `perverse'.

Mr Hill said: "What we say is the evidence of Mr Power was uncompelling... it was frivolous." He added: "When Judge Russell determined it in the summary way he did, he did so perversely because the material was not before him and because the material... was unsupported."

But Judge Peter Clark dismissed the appeal and said: "There is no suggestion that the claimant does not genuinely believe in the tenets of faith. Mr Hill has wholly failed to persuade me that such a conclusion is entirely perverse." He added: "Mr Hill further contends that Judge Russell's reasoning was inadequate. I disagree. I don't need any other evidence."

A police spokesman said: "GMP notes the ruling at the Employment Appeal Tribunal. As a full employment tribunal hearing is due to take place on November 23/24 it would be inappropriate to comment further."