Mr Mander highlighted the couple's desire to apply and he was asked to identify his ethnic origin on ringing the adoption agency.

When he stated they were both born and raised in Britain but their parents were born in India, Mr Mander was told that they were unlikely to be approved as potential adopters due to their 'Indian background', because only white children were available in Berkshire and the surrounding area.

The pair continued in their efforts to apply as they believed their heritage could not be a good reason to reject their application outright. Although the Manders have four spare bedrooms in their house and were willing to offer any child a loving home and indeed were otherwise suitable to adopt, Adopt Berkshire insisted it would still not let them apply to join the approved adopters' register because of their 'Indian heritage.'

Mr and Mrs Manders told the court that this was a simple case of direct discrimination on the grounds of race, in breach of Section 13 of the Equality Act 2010 and the European Convention on Human Rights.

They are claiming in a private prosecution that they should not have been rejected from even joining the approved adopters' register because of where their parents were born.

Judge Melissa Clarke heard from Mrs Mander that husband Sandeep rang Adopt Berkshire to express the couple's desire to apply to adopt, with her listening in the same room.

'I could hear from his voice that something wasn't right, his tone was shocked,' she said.

'I heard something about cultural heritage,' a well-dressed Reena said told the court.

'I felt that I should have the same right to enter the process as anyone else.'

Katherine Foster, defence barrister for Adopt Berkshire which deny all the couple's claims, asked: 'You are now determined to attribute racism to these social workers. You interpreted it as being racist when it was not.

it sure was racist

Good for them. Ridiculous decision colour should not matter in adoptions.

i agree digits it is beyond stupid
plus sikhs are lovely

I was off English/Indian heritage adopted by white parents. Thank fk didn't have social workers like this

I think race should be matched to race , where possible

They can give a home to a child or children who need it. They are obviously a decent couple. End of story

it is strange how so called professionals are more racist now than forty years ago digits

Well that would have screwed me

yep

Yes

If you're cleared to adopt, you should be cleared to adopt. End of

Siblings are often the hardest to find homes for as well... This couple could have taken them on

I didn't even realise this was a thing, im sure there have been white couples that have adopted black and asian kids. I guess in an ideal world you'd match a child with parents that ethnically/culturally similar but its definitely not a deal breaker

It shouldn't matter what colour the child or parents are when considering adoption.

The barrister for adopt Berkshire deny all the claims of racism. So no conclusion has been come to.
Lets wait and see the outcome before deciding whether any racism occured. It may well have ..but we don't know yet.

If they were white they would have been welcomed and children would have been found... It's racism

Yet the defence claim no racism. Adoption Berkshire havent been found guilty of racism...yet. So just wait and see.

Wow. The council can't even go for religious neutrality if they let white Christians/Catholics adopt. They're pretty powerful but it'll be interesting to see how they get out of this..

Go on the Manders!

Hard to believe this kinda thing still goes on..
Even a same sex couple can adopt a kid of any color if they want..
I figure it might have something to do with their rainbow movement

The whole policy is wrong. The joy of seeing young kids meet their possible future parents when we were fostering professionally was priceless. Those kids didn't care what colour these adults were. And neither should anybody else