A bid by trade unions to prevent “anti-gay” employment regulations becoming law has failed.

The rules, which came into place on December 1 last year, allowed discrimination against homosexuals in religious orders on the basis of their belief systems.

Lawyers from a group of seven unions including Amicus, Unison, the Public and Commercial Services Union and the Rail, Maritime and Transport Union claimed the rule would prevent people finding secular work in religious orders.

Homosexuals could be denied cleaning work or jobs in an organisation’s bookshop under the new rules, the unions warned. But Mr Justice Richards, in London’s high court, threw out the complaint.

The National Secular Society has also warned that the regulations could be used to discriminate against people on the basis of their religious beliefs.