A FORMER Army private at Dalton Barracks is suing the Ministry of Defence for religious and racial discrimination after he was banned from keeping a microwave in his room.

Oluwadare Adaramola, a Nigerian Seventh Day Adventist, claimed he needed to keep the microwave in his living quarters because when he left it in the common room other soldiers used it to cook pork – meat banned by his religion.

Mr Adaramola, who was a private in the Army, was discharged from his job as a Combat Human Resource Specialist at the barracks in Abingdon in August last year after he was caught driving without a valid UK licence.

However, he cited the microwave incident, the driving reprimand and an incident in which he was made to shave when he had a skin condition as evidence that he was discriminated against on religious and racial grounds.

Mr Adaramola, 30, told the tribunal judge, at a pre-hearing review for his case in Reading on Tuesday, he was told to keep his microwave in the common room.

He said: “They informed me I should keep it in the common room and to stipulate it only belonged to me.

“But lots of people would come into the room and use the microwave. They would warm other food which is against my religious beliefs as a Seventh Day Adventist.”

Matthew Gullick, a barrister representing the MoD who was applying to have the case thrown out, said Mr Adaramola had received a “minor sanction” for having a microwave oven in his living quarters. He said it was against the rules because it was a fire hazard.

Mr Gullick added: “He was instructed to remove the microwave in accordance with standard policy. It is not a reasonable prospect he would have been treated differently if he was of a different religion.”

The pre-hearing review heard Mr Adaramola, who came to Britain in 2005 and had been at Dalton Barracks for 15 months, was also reprimanded for driving illegally.

Mr Gullick told the judge he had been caught driving without a valid driving licence for which he received a formal warning which lasted three months.

However, during these three months “other incidents” led to his sacking including allegedly allowing his cousin stay at the barracks without permission.

He was given a minor sanction in July, 2009, for being “unshaven”, although he had a sick note stating he had a skin condition which made it painful to shave.

Mr Adaramola told the tribunal: “At the end I was thinking of hanging myself there because I could not take the depression anymore.”

Tribunal judge Carole Green said she was reserving judgement for 28 days while she decided whether to dismiss Mr Adaramola’s claim or allow a full-hearing to take place.