Policeman gets £12k for a f lea bite at work

A POLICEMAN received a £12,000 compensation payout after being bitten by a flea while at work.

The unnamed officer was given £12,127 in damages after he successfully sued West Midlands police, which also had to fork out £4,185 in legal fees.

it was just one of a number of workplace injury claims to the force which paid out £61,131 in compensation between April 1 last year and March 31.

Details of the flea bite case have not been revealed but a police spokesman said it resulted in ‘emergency’ treatment.

Yesterday the payout was branded ‘ludicrous’ by former lib Dem leader Tim Farron, while ex-officers said compensation culture was rife among forces in Britain.

Mr Farron said: ‘our cops do an amazing job keeping us safe. compensation should be paid for injuries at work but some of these claims seem to take the biscuit. it’s frankly ludicrous that taxpayers are footing the bill for when someone gets fleas on them.

A Freedom of information request revealed the force was sued by 14 serving officers and other staff members for a range of other bizarre work place injuries.

one officer who tripped at work was given payments in excess of £5,000, while two who were injured due to ‘manual handling’ were given £ 6,000 and £ 8,573.30. Another was given £7,274 compensation for defective equipment.

Former West Midlands police officer Ray egan, who served from 1967 to 1993, said the payouts ‘beggar belief’, adding: ‘i was a policeman for over 20 years, and i can’t imagine what would’ve happened if i’d gone to my senior officer and started moaning because i’d been bitten by a flea. i’d have been kicked out the office with a clip round the ear. compensation culture is rife across many forces.’

chloe Westley, campaign manager for the Taxpayer’s Alliance, added: ‘At a time when taxpayers are feeling the pinch and departments are having to find necessary savings, these payments will certainly sting.’ A West Midlands police spokesman said: ‘A police officer received a settlement after receiving a flea bite at work that resulted in emergency surgery.

‘compensation payouts are only made following assessment of appropriate medical evidence by insurers and solicitors who then make a recommendation to the force as to what the pay-out should be. The force does have liability insurance in place which operates in respect of claims made as a result of injury.’