Damages for Butlin's burns victim

A Senior manager at a Butlin's holiday camp in Scotland, who was severely burned in an accident at the camp's kitchens in 1988, has been awarded £150,000 in damages.

Peter Edwards, assistant manager at Butlin's Wonderwest complex in Ayr, had been investigating a leak from a heating element which boosted the supply of hot water to the dishwasher, when the device exploded.

He was rushed to hospital suffering from multiple burns. It was feared at one point that he might lose his sight.

In a previous stage of his nine-year legal battle, the Court of Session in Edinburgh had ruled against him. But on 3 June the Appeal Court in Edinburgh ruled that, under the Employer's Liability (Defective Equipment) Act, Butlin's was liable.

The court ruled that where a worker suffered injury because of a fault in equipment supplied by the employer, the injury was deemed to be attributable to employer negligence.