London, Nov. 7: A Muslim guard is suing the Metropolitan Police, also known as the Met, after he was removed from an elite protection squad in charge of guarding dignitaries such as Tony Blair.

Amjad Farooq, 39, was told he was a threat to national security because his children had attended a mosque associated with a Muslim cleric linked to a suspected terrorist group, it was reported today.

The development comes after last month’s row surrounding another Muslim member of the elite group, who was excused from guarding London’s Israeli embassy because he objected to Israel’s bombing of Lebanon.

The latest controversy centres on Farooq, a father of five who was informed that his presence on the unit might upset the US secret service, which works with the Met’s close-protection unit.

A Scotland Yard spokeswoman said: “The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) has been notified of an employment tribunal claim by an MPS guard alleging discrimination on the grounds of race and religious belief.”