A Christian NHS therapist who was suspended for giving a religious book to a Muslim colleague has lost an appeal against the decision.

In 2014, Victoria Wasteney from Epping was found guilty of “harassing and bullying” another employee by giving her a book about a Muslim woman's encounter with Christianity, praying with her and asking her to church.

Ms Wasteney, 39, a senior occupational therapist, was suspended from the John Howard Centre in Hackney for nine months and given a written warning.

Last year, she challenged the decision at an employment tribunal but it ruled her employer had not discriminated against her.

She appealed the result, but this was dismissed today (April 7) by Judge Eady QC in central London.

Speaking after the decision, Ms Wasteney said: “What the court clearly failed to do was to say how, in today's politically correct world, any Christian can even enter into a conversation with a fellow employee on the subject of religion and not, potentially, later end up in an employment tribunal.

“If someone sends you friendly text messages, how is one to know that they are offended?

“I had no idea that I was upsetting her.”

Ms Wasteney’s colleague is said to have been happy to discuss religion with her and never gave evidence about her allegations to the NHS.

They had become friends in 2012 through a shared interest in their faiths campaigning against human trafficking.

In April 2013 Ms Wasteney gave her a book – I Dared To Call Him Father – which promotes conversion to Christianity, and the month after Ms Wasteney placed her hand on her knee and prayed for her after she became upset at work.

She also invited her to church on several occasions, and in June the woman complained before quitting her job shortly after.

Ms Wasteney denied “grooming” her colleague.

She said: “I was asked about whether I had groomed this person and that is such a strong word… I have also been asked a lot about whether I was trying to convert this person.

“Of course, in the gospel of Jesus Christ people have an option to choose the message of the gospel and that there's good news.

“Under no circumstances was it ever my intention to pressurise anyone but I certainly felt that I needed to be free to express my view in a respectful way to other people, and I personally don't feel that I ever crossed that boundary.”

Andrea Williams, chief executive of the Christian Legal Centre, described the result as “disappointing” and a “blow for freedom”.

She said: “People like Victoria and the tens of thousands like her in this country are great employees, they are great bosses, they have compassion and care for those that work around them, and we all need to be free to have opinions.

“Everyone comes [to work] with a belief system, but it's the Christians like Victoria that we are seeing punished in the workplace and sadly an increasing climate of fear in the workplace.”