Ex-dinner lady Linda Sturt has accused Oxfordshire County Council of not caring after she was hurt in a fall in a school playground, writes Suzanne Huband.

Mrs Sturt was working at Woodstock Primary School in 1997 when she tripped over a raised paving slab.

She said: "Only a few weeks before, I warned the headteacher that I thought that part of the playground was an accident waiting to happen and it did - to me.

"I dislocated my nose, had several deep grazes and broke three teeth. I had to go to hospital and was really poorly and in a lot of pain. I was off work and had to have three teeth crowned."

Mrs Sturt, who has since moved to Charterville Close, Minster Lovell, gave up her job as a dinner lady. She still works for the county council as a driver for special needs children. She lodged a claim for more than £1,000 with the council but has had it turned down. She said: "I'm disgusted with the way I have been treated. They never even said 'sorry'."

The county council's personnel officer Sue Corrigan said: "The claim was passed to the council's insurers. Their inspectors found none of the paving slabs were more than five millimetres out of place.

"We have followed normal procedures but they turned her case down."

Story date: Saturday 12 February

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