A former NHS director who was sacked for speaking out against gay adoption has claimed he is being "ousted from public service" for being a Christian.

Richard Page, from Headcorn, is bringing a religious discrimination case against the NHS Trust Development Authority after being sacked for comments he made as a magistrate.

Yesterday, he told an employment tribunal "sex outside of marriage is sinful".

He claimed that he was not anti-gay but that: "It is a sin to have sex outside of marriage, which necessarily includes all homosexual practices."

He was suspended as a director of the Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust after he claimed it was better for a child to be brought up by both a man and a woman.

Mr Page, 71, made the controversial comments in his role as a magistrate when considering an application by a same-sex couple to adopt a child.

He rejected the claim submitted in a social worker's report that homosexual couples made better adoptive parents than straight couples.

Last year, he appeared on numerous television programmes in an attempt to defend his position.

On one appearance on ITV's This Morning, where he declared that he was opposed to gay marriage, the presenter, Piers Morgan, accused him of being a homophobe - a claim Mr Page denied.

Later, he was then sacked for serious misconduct from the magistracy by then Justice Secretary Michael Gove and Lord Thomas who said his comments suggested he was "biased and prejudiced against single sex adopters".

"I am not homophobic. It is not a sin to be a homosexual; it is a sin to have sex outside of marriage, which necessarily includes all homosexual practices" - Richard Page

A few days later the NHS Trust Development Authority suspended him from his role at Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust.

He claims that he has been barred from public duty for being a good Christian.

Mr Page is now suing the NHS for discrimination, harassment and victimisation for his Christian beliefs under the Equality Act 2010.

Mr Page, who had served as a magistrate for 15 years, submitted in a witness statement to Croydon Employment Tribunal that the reason for his rejection of the gay couple's application was that he did not find the social worker's argument "persuasive".

He also noted that the couple were attempting to adopt in England to sidestep legislation in their own country - something he described as "adoption shopping".

In his statement Mr Page said: ''The Bible states that a God-honouring relationship is for one man and one woman to be united in the life-long union of marriage.

''God encourages procreation in the context of this relationship. Sex outside of marriage is sinful and against the will of God.

''I have been questioned about my Christian beliefs in the media. Piers Morgan was the most hostile interviewer, and he accused me of being homophobic.

''I told him clearly that I am not homophobic. It is not a sin to be a homosexual; it is a sin to have sex outside of marriage, which necessarily includes all homosexual practices.

''I am a sinner too, and in need of God's grace, for the Bible says that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.

''I strongly believe that it is best for any child to be raised in a traditional family with a mother and a father.

''I believe God had good reasons to make the family include both a man and a woman, not just because the child physically needs both, but also because of the respective ways men and women think.

''The child needs the complementary roles offered by both parents, male and female, psychological as well as physical. Consequently, I take a sceptical view of same-sex adoptions, or adoptions by a single person."

He added: ''My career as a Magistrate, and my career as an NHS Director, were both devoted to public service.

''I exercised all my duties properly, according to the law and my conscience, and not according to any ideology.

"I have been ousted from every venue of public service for no other reason than that, as a good Christian, I have always endeavoured to do my duty in good conscience" - Richard Page

''It is precisely for that reason that I was subjected to a campaign for vilification and victimisation, of which the removal from NHS directorship is only one example.

''I believe that illustrates a very worrying state of affairs in the society, and I do not resile from anything I have said publicly about this situation.

''On the contrary, further victimisation by the NHS only illustrates my point.

"I have been ousted from every venue of public service for no other reason than that, as a good Christian, I have always endeavoured to do my duty in good conscience."

He told the tribunal that he was not a homophobe.

He said: ''I have now been dismissed for something outside my role as an NHS Director, and I struggle to understand how my comments are relevant to my position in the NHS.

''I worked with numerous homosexuals during my time at the NHS.

"They were on the board of the NHS, though I never commented on their sexuality because them being homosexuals was not relevant for the decisions we had to make.''

He said: ''Essentially, it was alleged that I dissented because I was a Christian, and not because of proper judicial deliberations.

''I denied those allegations, and explained the real reasons for my dissenting judgement.

"I also pointed out that my scepticism of the 'research paper' about the advantages of same-sex adoption seemed to be justified.

''Prior to the disciplinary hearing, I looked up the existing research publications on the issue, and there is clearly a significant body of academic opinion which highlights problems of same-sex adoptions as compared to those by traditional families.

''In particular, scientific evidence from the USA (where same-sex adoptions have gone on for long enough for the adopted children to have reached their late teen age), show that as teenagers, children adopted by same-sex couples tend to have significant psychological problems.

''I did not know of that research at the time we determined the adoption case, but I brought it to the attention of the Panel to illustrate the fact that I reached my decision because of the inadequacy of the evidence presented to the Court."

In a fiery exchange during the hearing, Mr Page claimed it was "not normal" for children to be adopted by single people or gay people.

He said that a child should only be allowed to go to gay parents as a "second to last resort" - just ahead of a care home.

During cross examination, Mr Page told the tribunal panel: ''It is not in the best interest of the child, it is not normal to be adopted by a single person or a same sex person.

''But I also exclude people who are 90, but that is ageist. Would I be here if I was accused of being ageist?

''What I am saying is it is normal for a man and woman to have a child. My job as a magistrate was to do what was best for the child.''

When quizzed whether this meant he was excluding gay parents he answered: ''Yes.''

When pressed further on the justification for his views, Mr Page said: ''The evidence is there that for same sex couples who adopt children they find that once they have gone through puberty then they have horrendous problems.

''In the US there is evidence that once they have gone through puberty there is disaster.''

When asked whether it would ever be appropriate for a gay couple to adopt, Mr Page said: ''By my reckoning it would be better than a care home, which would be a last resort.''

Mr Page also bemoaned what he saw as discrimination against Christian parents, saying: ''Christians are almost always turned down.''

In lengthy cross examination Mr Page was asked about his views on the Bible and whether he agrees with the books of Exodus and Leviticus that homosexuality was a sin.

He said: ''I am a Christian. I believe what it says, he is our maker therefore I find what he says correct.

''It is immoral. Homosexual activity is a sin.''

The hearing continues.