A couple have been awarded nearly £120,000 in damages after a judge ruled they were discriminated against by not being allowed to adopt a child.

Sandeep and Reena Mander, from Maidenhead in Berkshire, had their application to join a register of approved adopters turned down because of their Indian ancestry, and were told their chances would be improved if they looked to adopt in India or Pakistan.

The couple sued the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead for discrimination and their case was backed by the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

The judge, Melissa Clarke, ruled: “I find that the defendants directly discriminated against Mr and Mrs Mander on the grounds of race.”

Clarke awarded the couple general damages of about £29,000 each and special damages totalling £60,000 for the cost of adopting a child overseas. The judge also made a declaration that the council “directly discriminated” against the couple in the provision of adoption services on the grounds of race.

But she rejected their claim to have been discriminated against under article 12 of the European convention on human rights, concerning the right to found a family.

In her judgment, Clarke said: “I consider that there is clear evidence that Mr and Mrs Mander, who I have found expressed willingness to consider a child of any ethnicity, received less favourable treatment than would a comparable couple of a different ethnicity. All of this discloses, in my judgment, what the unknown social worker stated in the very first phone call with Mr Mander, namely that Adopt Berkshire operated a policy of placing adoptive children with parents who come from the ‘same background’ – namely race.

“I am satisfied that race was the criterion by which the unknown social worker decided not to book an initial visit with Mr and Mrs Mander, because the defendants have not satisfied me that there was any other criterion applied by that unknown social worker.

“All the evidence points to Adopt Berkshire’s refusal to progress Mr and Mrs Mander being made on the assumption that it would not be in a putative child’s best interest to be matched with prospective adopters who did not share their race. This assumption was a stereotype which gave race a disproportionate importance as a factor regarding the welfare of children.”

Lawyers for the couple said the judgment was a landmark ruling with the finding of racial discrimination in adoption law.

“This decision ensures that no matter what race, religion or colour you are, you should be treated equally and assessed for adoption in the same way as any other prospective adopter,” said Sandeep Mander, a vice-president of sales at an IT company.

Reena Mander, who works as a programme manager for a telecoms company, said: “Today is such a relief and is a relief that we can change things for other people and not face racial discrimination. It is absolutely amazing. We know we can move on knowing we have changed something for the better.”

Rebecca Hilsenrath, the chief executive of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, which funded the case, said: “The law is very clear. We should not be treating people differently when they are offering loving homes just because of where they or their parents come from.”

The couple’s lawyer, Georgina Calvert-Lee, said: “Today’s judgment is a victory for all British children who need loving adoptive homes, and for all the eligible, loving adoptive British families hoping to welcome them into their lives.The Manders are British, and they treasure the central British value of fairness. They therefore asked the court for the basic right to be treated on equal footing with other British couples.”

A spokesman for the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead said: “We are very disappointed by the judgment in this case, which we will now take time to consider in full.

“We have reviewed our policies to ensure they are fit for purpose and are confident that we do not exclude prospective adopters on the grounds of ethnicity. Finally, we always put the best interests of the children at the heart of any adoption decisions and are committed to best practice in our provision of adoption services.”