Two ethnic minority firefighters have claimed they were told by colleagues to stay in the back of their fire truck because their presence would ‘damage house prices’ in the area.

The two were among a group offered five figure settlements by Essex County Fire and Rescue Service after claiming they were subjected to a vicious campaign of racist harassment.

The payouts come after the service was described in an official report from 2015 as containing "dangerous and pervasive bullying" at every level.

The five firefighters had accused Essex Fire and Rescue of repeatedly ignoring reports of racist abuse and harassment and of failing to discipline the perpetrators.

The four men and one woman claimed the brigade condoned an atmosphere at work which led to them suffering “psychiatric injury” from “abuse, bullying and acts of harassment”.

Court documents reveal claims that an Asian firefighter, called Ajmal Khan, was told to stay in the back of a fire truck with a black colleague, Winston Rollock, because their presence “would bring the house prices down”.

In another example of alleged racist bullying firefighters called Mr Khan “P***” and placed bacon and sausages on his plate, forcing him to clean it, and smeared his toast with bacon, knowing he was a Muslim.