Housemistress sues for £1.8m after fall on school’s wet floor

A FORMER housemistress is suing a boarding school for £1.8 million in compensation after she broke her wrist when she slipped on a wet floor.

Lindsey Shaw had been speaking to a parent and pupil at Mill Hill School, in north London, in June 2016, when she suffered the accident.

The 59-year-old needed surgery and went on to develop chronic pain syndrome and bouts of depression, which effectively put an end to her career, Central London County Court heard.

Mrs Shaw was boarding director at Mill Hill and had also taught English and been a housemistress at the school, which counts Richard Dimbleby, Sir Norman Hartnell and Sir Denis Thatcher among its alumni.

David White, a barrister, said that Mrs Shaw is currently able to do “virtually nothing in terms of work”.

The Mill Hill School Foundation accepts “primary liability” for the accident, but is disputing the amount of money she is due, claiming Mrs Shaw ignored the cleaners’ warning signs.

The case is due to return to court at a later date to decide if Mrs Shaw bears any responsibility for the accident and what she might be due in damages.