Victory to Yvonne in legal battle

Motherwell athlete and Commonwealth Games competitor Yvonne MurrayMooney has won a cash payout against North Lanarkshire Council.

The running legend began legal proceedings against her former bosses over a personal injury case which has now been settled.

The 5 2 - y e a r- o l d claimed they drove her to a breakdown after being over- worked during her time as a senior athletics development officer.

The case has been settled out of court, with undisclosed damages paid to the Olympic and Commonwealth Games medallist.

Yvonne confirmed the news on a post on her Facebook page, alongside a picture of champagne glasses.

She said: “Celebrating the fact that my personal injury legal case against North Lanarkshire Leisure has been settled out of court.”

Yvonne launched the claim after becoming frustrated with the pace of an industrial tribunal launched in 2014.

She claimed unfair dismissal after North Lanarkshire Council terminated her contract following a prolonged illness.

The Motherwell athlete blamed her working conditions for making her ill.

Yvonne’s job with the council involved nurturing young athletes of the future but she was hospitalised in 2012 after suffering from stress and anxiety.

At the time, her mum Mary Furnell said the athlete had been working 86 hours a week.

Mary claimed the illness was “down to the stress at work”.

Yvonne won a bronze medal in the 3000m at the 1988 Seoul Olympics.

She then struck gold at the 10,000m in the 1994 Commonwealth Games in Victoria, Canada.

She was awarded an MBE in 1990 and inducted into the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame in 2007.

A North Lanarkshire Le i s u re spokesman confirmed the case had been settled out of court but declined to comment on individual cases.