Over £2.5M paid out in compensation by Rochdale Council

Date published: 01/03/2008

Figures just released show that the Rochdale Council has paid out £2,662,018 in settlements since 2003 to more than 1,400 people who have sustained injuries tripping on pavements - £1,800 per claim.

Rochdale Council says that compensation payouts are falling - the amount paid out has dropped dramatically since 2003, when £1.4M was paid out, to 2007 when the bill was just over £200,000 - and insisted roads and footpaths are regularly inspected to reduce the risks of accidents.

Highways manager, Terry Leedham, said: "We undertake regular inspections of roads and footpaths.

"The frequency of these inspections will depend on the type of road and how often it is used.

"Where defects are found or reported to us by the public, assuming they meet the criteria for repair, we will remove any hazards to reduce the chance of a trip or fall happening.

"In addition to the safety inspections, we rely on local people getting in touch to tell us about potentially dangerous paths.

Paul Rowen MP said "I am pleased to see the number of claimants falling.

"But the amount of claims is still far too high and I still feel a minority are trying it on. I would like to send a clear message to this band of opportunists – if you do this we’ll catch you and prosecute you for perjury.

"The other result of false claims is that it drains the amount of money the council can spend on its priorities."

"Over the past few years the council has been very successful in defending compensation claims."

The TaxPayers’ Alliance, a national pressure group campaigning for better government, described the figures as "shocking’.

Matthew Elliott, chief executive of the organisation, said: "There are two solutions – the council should take better care of its payments and people should resist the temptation to indulge in the compensation culture.

"If someone is seriously injured, the council should rightly take the blame, but how many of these payouts were for scuffed knees?"