A Bristol-based computer company has landed itself in a soup after placing a job advertisement seeking an applicant "preferably of Indian origin" on a British website.

The firm said it was looking for someone with a minimum of six years experience in IT, and added: "The person should be a UK citizen with security clearance from the UK Government. Preferably of Indian origin."

The advert was for IT firm Torry Harris, which has bases in Bristol and Bangalore. It declined to comment on the advert for the 38,000-pound-a-year post, which was branded "quite clearly racist" by angry campaigners.ccording to the Daily Express, they claimed it showed anti-British discrimination and urged the equalities watchdog to launch an immediate investigation.

IT consultant Vince Silva, who read it, said: "I think it is appalling that applicants could be discriminated against in this way.

"It raises a question about the way some British companies are bringing in workers instead of recruiting them here."

Conservative MP David Davies, said: "This is quite clearly racist. I have reported it to the Equalities and Human Rights Commission in the hope for once that they might take action against something that discriminates against most British people."

Recruitment agency McGregor Boyall Associates has pulled the ad from website jobsite.co.uk.

Its managing director Laurie Boyle said: "This was an error - a bad one, but the first of its kind we have made in 22 years." (ANI)