An Austrian official is to receive more than £270,000 in compensation for being unfairly passed over for promotion because of his gender.

Peter Franzmayr sued for discrimination after failing to get an internal promotion in the transport ministry in 2011.

The job instead went to the then-head of the rail regulator, Ursula Zechner.

The Federal Administrative Court agreed with him, ruling in February that there was a 'discernible pattern, according to which [Zechner] was treated more favourably than the other candidates from the beginning'.

Franzmayr will receive 317,368 euros (£278,415) in compensation, reflecting the extra money he would have earned in the post as well as damages, the Die Presse newspaper reported.

Peter Franzmayr (pictured) is to receive more than £270,000 in compensation for being unfairly passed over for promotion because of his gender

The transport minister at the time of the appointment, Doris Bures of the Social Democrats (SPOe), defended the way it was handled and said all the relevant legal procedures had been followed.

The shortlisted candidates were all judged highly qualified, she added.

She said the eventual decision had been taken because of the 'massive under-representation of women'.

'I hope the current decision doesn't call into the question the principle of encouraging the promotion of women,' she said in a statement.

Bures had decided to create a new super department within her ministry dealing specifically with transport.

The transport minister at the time of the appointment, Doris Bures (pictured) of the Social Democrats (SPOe), defended the way it was handled

An expert evaluation committee had looked at the three candidates, and had concluded that Franzmayr, who at the time was already the head of one of the two sections being merged, was the best candidate for the job.

But he decided to challenge the decision by going to complain to the government's equality commission, which confirmed he had been discriminated against for being a man.

However, the ministry still refused to accept the ruling and said they were obliged by equality laws to offer the post to a woman.

As a result, he took the matter to court.

After losing out on the role, Franzmayr went on to work as a lawyer and the head of the town authorities in the town of Wels.

Earlier this month he was appointed by the current Transport Minister, Norbert Hofer of the far-right Freedom Party (FPOe), as head of the board of supervisors at the state motorway operator Asfinag.