text: Ian Gibson, a former soldier who had his kneecap blown off in combat and is suing his employer after a colleague nicknamed him Hoppy . A former soldier who had his kneecap blown off in combat more than 30 years ago is suing his employer after he was nicknamed 'Hoppy' by a colleague. Today, ex-Army tank driver Ian Gibson from Hillingdon in Middlesex told an employment tribunal that he was subjected to a tirade of 'horrible harassment' while working at H and G Contracting Services Ltd at Heathrow Airport. The 60-year-old joined the company as plane refueller in December 2007, three decades after he was medically discharged from the British Army's Parachute Regiment. His job involved kneeling down, removing a manhole cover and connecting the fuel pipe  to refuel planes. In 2010 he underwent a knee replacement and had further surgery on his other knee two years later. Mr Gibson claims that bosses failed to make his job easier after the pain in his knee became too excruciating and was overlooked for an office-based job, which was instead offered to a man he said bullied him about being disabled. He told the tribunal in Reading: 'I suffered bullying and harassment and discrimination as a result of my disability, in particular from Mike Baldwin who bullied me because of my disability and the way I walk. 'On my return to work there was no medical or risk assessment. I carried on the work without adjustments which caused further pain.' Mr Gibson added that he was offered a temporary admin role in the workshop at the firm in November 2013. However, when he lodged a grievance complaint about the bullying, he was told his admin job would not be made permanent. He also claimed he was not informed about a vacancy for a workshop/site service manager role when he was off work. He added: ' I feel the reason was because I lodged a grievance and was a hassle to the company. 'I think I was deliberately not informed of the position. Mike Baldwin told me he had already been offered the job before I was given an interview. 'He called me "Hoppy" because of my limp. The way I walk has been a real difficulty for me. He said to me "they could get a tart in for £16,000 to do your job, disabled or not so watch yourself". 'In April 2014, he called me 'Hoppy' and said "I don't know why you joined the Army, jumping out of planes for what? This f****d up country, you must be f*****g stupid, look at you, it has left you with f***** up legs".' Mr Gibson claimed he was subjected to the bullying and harassment while working at Heathrow Airport, pictured,  for H and G Contracting Services Ltd  (file picture) Naomi Cunningham, representing H and G Contracting Services Ltd, challenged Mr Gibson asking him if the nickname was just 'harmless'. But he added: 'To you it might be, to me it isn't I got a limp serving this country if you want to go down that route. 'My grandchildren do not like coming around as much as they used to call me grumpy granddad.' Miss Cunningham also said the company might have had no reason to think Mr Gibson was suitable for the job of a site service manager due to a lack of experience and that the office-based job was always meant to be permanent. But the grandfather replied: 'There was scores missing from my CV. I had one night to do it, I had been with H and G for years. 'It was a temporary job but I was told to keep working hard and management will try and get it permanent for me. I was under that impression.'
target: Ian Gibson claims he was bullied at H and G Contracting Services Ltd .
  Says he was called 'Hoppy' by a colleague due to a limp from an injury .
  Adds he was overlooked for an office job when pain became too much .
  Mr Gibson sustained the knee injury in combat in the Parachute Regiment .