An office worker has claimed she was the victim of racial discrimination while working for American Express.

Terre Cleaver, of Cumberland Road, Brighton, told an employment tribunal she was treated differently from white colleagues.

Mrs Cleaver, who worked part-time as a credit analyst in the risk management department of the firm's office in Edward Street, Brighton, said she was forced to resign in January because she felt depressed and despondent over her unfavourable treatment.

The company denies treating her unfairly and said there was no evidence she was the victim of race discrimination.

She said: "I believe I was treated differently to my white colleagues. They received feed-back and support and I did not."

She said she was refused career development opportunities and training because of her race. Other staff, she said, were rewarded and praised for their work but she was not because she was the only one who was of African descent.

She failed to receive an incentive bonus on time and told the Brighton hearing she did not believe it was an administrative error. She said her request to pursue her interest in employee surveys was ignored.

She said her team manager failed in her duty to offer her a personal development plan for her future career which should include goal-setting.

She felt aggrieved her manager gave her no support when she showed interest in applying for the company's educational assistance scheme, which would have provided extra benefits while she studied.

During cross-examination she denied telling her boss she was only working for the company until she finished the psychology degree she was studying at the time at Sussex University.

She said: "I never indicated I had no intention of developing a career at American Express.

"If I was only working to earn extra cash while I was at university, I would not have bothered to try to make a name for myself or get involved in the culture of American Express."

Mrs Cleaver told the tribunal she wanted compensation for her low degree after she graduated from university with a third. She said she would have got an improved degree if she had not been discriminated against by the company.

The hearing continues.