A male nude model yesterday accused a further education college of sexual discrimination by claiming art teachers preferred to let their students draw women.

Mr George Bond, 54, of Northampton, said two tutors at Northampton College were shunning his services and giving the lion's share of work to females.

He claimed at an industrial tribunal in Bedford that the teachers preferred women models because they were curvier and easier for inexperienced artists to copy.

Mr Bond, a former ambulanceman, also said he saw the same faces time after time at evening classes and said some students signed up because it was a cheap way of looking at naked bodies.

College bosses denied his claims. They said he could not hold poses for long periods, fidgeted, and went to the toilet too often. Principal David Percival also said Mr Bond argued with tutors and intimidated students by staring at them. However, he agreed the two lecturers accused by Mr Bond had used more female models than male.

Mr Bond, a part-time actor who has appeared in porn films and the BBC soap opera EastEnders, denied he had launched the action purely to attract publicity. He said he had worked 68 out of a possible 1260 hours at the college in the past eight years. In the majority of cases, female models were used, he said.

''I am claiming sexual discrimination against Northampton College,'' said Mr Bond, who is single and represented himself at the hearing.

''I'm not the only male model at Northampton College. There are probably three or four others. But there are quite a lot more females than males.''

Mr Bond, who said he had a 5% disability because of a bad back and was also short sighted, told the tribunal he got his fair share of work at other colleges and art classes in the Northampton area.

''You can use a male or female for any application, apart from one or two occasions,'' said Mr Bond, who is paid nearly #5 an hour to pose.

''I have been used but I was not used enough . . . I have lost money, although money is not the main issue here - the main issue is discrimination.''

Mr Bond, who said he had no money and lived day to day, said models did sometimes need to use the toilet, particularly when working in draughty halls or cold classrooms.

''I personally take my own fan heater wherever I go,'' he added.

''I have on occasions, when it has been very cold or if there is snow on the ground, gone twice.''

Mr Bond told the tribunal that, earlier this year, Mr Lockett had rung him up and been abusive: ''He called me a bastard. He said I was always moaning, complaining about the cold, and going to the toilet. He said nobody liked me, and that included tutors.''

The tribunal was adjourned until June 5.