Terence Homer achieved multiple commendations during a 30-year career with West Yorkshire Police which included several "supergrass" operations and investigations with the elite National Crime Squad.

The 63-year-old's list of plaudits included one from the US for his drug enforcement work.

After retiring in 1995, he was immediately employed as a legal adviser with the police national legal database, working from West Yorkshire Police's training centre in Wakefield.

His job was to provide legal advice and interpretations of the law to forces all over the UK.

But a push for promotion was blocked by his bosses because he did not hold a law degree, even though he had vast experience.

He took West Yorkshire Police Authority to an employment tribunal and proved they had indirectly discriminated against him on the grounds of age.

The hearing in Leeds was told that four pay grades were introduced for legal advisers, and Mr Homer successfully applied for promotion to the second-highest.

Later, when he applied to move onto the top level, grade three, this was declined.

Mr Homer said that not being able to move onto the top level affected not only his annual salary, but his pension prospects.

The tribunal heard the force offered to pay the fees so he could take a degree course, but he would have had to study part-time, at evenings and weekends.

He said this would not have finished until after his 65th birthday, when he intended to retire.

The tribunal had earlier ruled in his favour and said his employers had failed to follow the statutory grieveance procedures after he had raised his concerns.

Full details of the compensation package agreed yesterday were not revealed but the tribunal said it was "relatively modest".

In a written judgment, the tribunal quoted employment law guidance which states that requiring recruits to have degrees is potentially indirectly discriminatory against older workers, since far more school leavers go to university now than they did in the past.

The tribunal picked out "inconsistencies in the approach" of his employers. Firstly, they had "bent the rules" to admit a woman who did not have a law degree or similar.

Secondly, the requirement for a law degree had actually been changed to "a degree in law or similar", a finding which undermined the employer's arguments.

The tribunal also said the police should have spent more time retaining highly experienced staff and providing them with a career structure.

The report also pointed out that one manager, a deputy chief constable, had acknowledged that Mr Homer had "sought to improve his legal knowledge and skill by virtually every other route other than to attain a law degree".

Mr Homer was awarded £5,000 for injury to feelings and the tribunal recommended he receive promotion and back pay.