A magistrate struck off for his views on same sex adoption is to take legal action over the decision.

Richard Page was reprimanded last year after questioning whether a same-sex couple would be the best choice of parents during an adoption case.

The 69-year-old Christian, from Headcorn, said it was natural and in the interests of a child to be brought up by a mother and father.

But after being struck off this week he now intends to take his case to an employment tribunal, saying he has been discriminated against for his religious beliefs.

The Judicial Conduct Investigations Office sent Mr Page on an equality course following the comments, which were made in an interview on national television last year.

But on Wednesday he was told he would not be returning to the bench.

A spokesman for the JCIO said: “The Lord Chancellor and Lord Chief Justice found Mr Page’s comments would have caused a reasonable person to conclude he was biased and prejudiced against single sex adopters; they considered this to be serious misconduct which brought the magistracy into disrepute."

Andrea Williams, the chief executive of the Christian Legal Centre, who is supporting Mr Page said that papers were being prepared to be served on Mr Page's behalf.

She said: "We are doing this because the two highest lawyers in our country (The Lord Chancellor and Lord Chief Justice) have said that Richard Page was biased and prejudiced.

"This Christian magistrate spent all his life serving society and by acting on his belief that vulnerable children need a mum and dad, to sack him is prejudicial.

"It is a very sad state of affairs in modern Britain. This legal action is a matter of principle."