Council has paid out over £800,000 in compensation to town hall employees

Rochdale Council has paid out £822,000 to town hall employees in compensation pay outs over a five year period  (between 2008 and 2012).

One worker received £5,000 in compensation after claiming to suffer psychological problems and mental anguish as a result of passive smoking.

£175,679 was paid out to a worker who slipped and fell on a wet floor causing strain and back injury.

In March 2012, a worker who was burnt by hot gravy received a payment of £3,566 whilst another worker received a payment of £4,000 after slipping on a banana and falling.

It was originally reported that the council had paid out more than £1m in compensation claims, making them the highest paying council in Greater Manchester but Rochdale Online says this is incorrect.

A spokesperson for Rochdale Council said: “It has been reported that we paid out the most at over £1m. This is a mistake by the newspaper who published this figure and they have subsequently corrected this.

"We are not the highest in Greater Manchester. Over a five year period we paid out the equivalent of £175k each year, which is average for a council of our size.

"It is pleasing that claims of this type have decreased since 2012.”