An age discrimination claim has been made against the Radisson Edwardian hotel group by a former employee who alleges the hotel boss wanted ‘younger and sexy’, according to reports in The Telegraph.

57 year old Amai Ismail previously worked as a restaurant manager at Radisson Edwardian’s Kenilworth Hotel in the West End until he was moved to the Vanderbilt in South Kensington in 2001.

According to Mr. Ismail he was replaced by a younger, more attractive female counterpart because the manager wanted a ‘newer and younger image’ for the five-star hotel group.

He has made further claims that he was asked to go to the group’s Mayfair hotel to find fault with older staff and encourage them to leave, according to the report. When asked what an ideal employee would look like, manager Charles Oak is alleged to have said “young, blonde, sexy and with short skirts”.

Mr Ismail is claiming unfair dismissal against the hotel chain and discrimination on the grounds of age, disability, race, religious beliefs and the fact he was a member of the GMB union.