A FIREFIGHTER said he was forced to resign because of a campaign of hate against him at a fire station.

Vincent Carroll, of Dixon Street, Horwich, quit the fire service in August last year, but has now launched a claim against Greater Manchester Fire Service for constructive dismissal claiming he had to leave because of racist and sexist abuse from his colleagues.

Mr Carroll said the campaign began after he had alerted fire brigade bosses to an alleged fraud in which crews made hoax calls to increase their wages.

Police carried out an 18-month inquiry and 12 firefighters were arrested, but the Crown Prosecution Service did not prosecute.

However, following an internal investigation, Mr Carroll, who became a part-time firefighter in July 1991, and driver Tony Critchley faced a disciplinary charge of falsehood and Sub Officer Malcolm Pye faced a charge of corruption and malpractice.

Mr Pye was found guilty and sacked, Mr Critchley was cleared and Mr Carroll resigned before the disciplinary hearing.

Mr Carroll told the industrial tribunal, which opened yesterday in Manchester, that accusations of being him being homosexual led back to an incident in 1992 when a fellow firefighter allegedly sexually assaulted him.

He claims the incident had started off as innocent horseplay, but became a serious assault and that despite telling a senior officer what had happened, he was discouraged from taking further action. Mr Carroll alleged that the same officer who attacked him bragged about the incident to fellow colleagues and told friends in the town's pubs.

He also claimed the same colleague tampered with his firefighter's uniform years later following his whistle-blowing and tampered with his breathing apparatus. Mr Carroll believes his colleagues broke into his car, slashed his tyres and made hoax phone calls to his home.

Mr Carroll also claimed the words "Vinnie Carroll is a homosexual" were written on the back of his fire tunic which was doused in lavender oil and he received a letter from a man asking for a date after his personal details were placed in a Lonely Hearts magazine.

He also claimed racist abuse had been aimed at him because his stepfather is South African and Indian in origin.

However, Richard Pratt, on behalf of Greater Manchester Fire Service, accused Mr Carroll of double standards and argued that he had been the perpetrator of childish pranks including putting boot polish on the faces and bottoms of firefighters.

Mr Pratt said: "It wasn't a case of people ganging up on you, but childish behaviour from all the firefighters. You gave as good as you got."

Mr Carroll admitted to having been involved in many horseplay incidents, but claimed none of them were as serious as the abuse he had put up with. He agreed he had taken part in a prank with other firefighters when they put bags of flour on the doorstep of a colleague joking that a drugs cartel had moved into the street, but he denied having placed foil or syringes at the same address.

He also admitted to having drawn a caricature of a fellow firefighter in fishnet stockings, but claimed he had not meant it to be offensive.

Mr Carroll also told the tribunal that he had drawn a mock family tree at the station suggesting that people from Horwich interbreed.

Mr Carroll has also alleged that his complaints were not dealt with properly. Transcripts of interviews were kept from him but given openly to his colleagues and claims that the fire service repeatedly delayed his disciplinary hearing without reason until he had had a "bellyful" and resigned.

The hearing was continuing today.