A Welshman is suing his former employer for racism after workmates repeatedly called him a “sheep s**gger”.

Sixty-one-year-old James Bracegirdle, a health and safety expert, claims he was subjected to “increasingly hostile racist banter”, including being called a “taffy b***d”, while colleagues said his native language sounded like someone “spewing in a bucket”.

Bracegirdle worked as a Network Rail adviser at Quinn Infrastructure Services Ltd in London. He told an Employment Tribunal that he was asked “whether he had been given Wellington boots for Christmas, the banter being that sheep s**ggers would restrain a sheep for the purpose by inserting its hind legs into their boots”. His workmates also called a mannequin in the office “Baa-bera”.

In a preliminary hearing, he said he faced “staple insults heard more on a building site than in an office environment”.

In July 2019, Bracegirdle left the firm, saying he was “unable to cope” with the jibes.

Quinn Infrastructure Services Ltd claims he left after his performance at work was criticised. A further hearing will be held after the claims are allowed to proceed.