Judge throws out claim against Rochdale Council

Councillor Allen Brett, cabinet member for finance

Geoffrey Triggs, of Heywood, brought a claim against Rochdale Borough Council that a judge has ruled was ‘fundamentally dishonest’.

Triggs claimed he had fallen backwards over faulty paving while walking home injuring his head, neck and back.

The council’s legal and insurance team rejected his account having spotted a "number of discrepancies" in his story and robustly defended the Council’s position in court.

After hearing evidence, the judge ruled in favour of the Council and said that the claimant had made a claim of "fundamental dishonesty".

Triggs was left with a legal bill for thousands of pounds.

Councillor Allen Brett, cabinet member for corporate and resources, said: “The council takes a zero tolerance approach to fraudulent claims and we won’t think twice about taking a false claimant to court. This case should be a lesson to others planning to make a quick buck out of hard pressed council coffers. I would simply say, don’t waste your time, we will find against you and it will end up costing you money.

“I would like to thank council staff for their diligence and hard work in getting this matter to court. They helped to secure a positive outcome for local taxpayers who quite rightly don’t want public money going to fraudulent opportunists like this.”