Electrician’s cross in van sparks row with employer

A housing association electrician is facing disciplinary action from his employer in a row about displaying an eight-inch palm cross in the windscreen of his works van. Colin Atkinson, 64, was asked to remove the cross after a tenant of Wakefield and District Housing Trust complained. He refused and an inquiry is underway pending a disciplinary hearing next month.

Mr Atkinson has worked for the housing association for 15 years and claims he has had a cross on show in his van while he worked for all that time. “The treatment of Christians in this country is becoming diabolical…but I will stand up for my faith,” he said.

The housing association, which runs 31,000 homes, bars drivers from displaying personal items in vehicles, but agrees they can wear religious symbols or display them on their desks so tenants or visitors do not form the view the association favours any specific religion or faith.

Gillian Pickersgill, executive director of people at the association, said: “It’s not about religion – it’s simply about employees not displaying personal items in company vehicles.” The housing association has a diversity policy that includes representation at various local events to promote this strategy, such as a gay pride.

If Mr Atkinson and the employer fail to come to an agreement, he could face the sack for gross misconduct at the disciplinary hearing.

Andrew Minichiello Williams, chief executive of the Christian Legal Centre, which is supporting Mr Atkinson, said: ‘This smacks of something deeply illiberal and remarkably intolerant. Freedom of expression now needs to be robustly defended. When a man can’t display a palm cross in his van in a historically Christian country, it should give people serious pause for thought.”

A palm cross is generally made from the fronds of a palm leaf, which according to the Bible were laid on the ground when Jesus entered Jerusalem. The palm cross is often seen during Palm Sunday services in the run up to Easter.