A FIREFIGHTER has won a £70,000 payout after the pumping equipment he used for 31 years damaged his hearing.

The victory for Alec Bogle, 51, from Lancelot Close, Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, could clear the way for hundreds of similar claims.

Unions said the claim by Mr Bogle, who worked for the County Durham and Darlington Brigade, could be the "tip of the iceberg".

Mr Bogle, who was paid £18,000-a-year and now has a pension of £13,000-a-year, had to retire in August 2004 and has since struggled to find full-time work.

The brigade was accused of wasting taxpayers' money after it was revealed it could have settled for a much lower sum weeks earlier.

Married grandfather-of-two Mr Bogle said that he had loved his job and that losing it made him feel he had lost his identity.

He said last night: "It has been a four-year episode and I just want to put it behind me."

Newcastle High Court heard on Friday that the brigade had admitted liability for the damage caused to Mr Bogle's hearing.

He now suffers from partial deafness in both ears, as well as severe tinnitus, a condition that causes ringing in the ears.

He was fitted with hearing aids by a specialist audiologist but still struggles to hear in crowded or noisy settings.

Nicholas Price, for Mr Bogle, said he had endured pain, suffering and loss of amenity and was entitled to compensation for loss of future earnings.

Judge Christopher Walton awarded Mr Bogle a total of £69,557. Durham and Darlington Fire Brigade had rejected an offer by Mr Bogle's lawyers to settle for £55,000.

Mr Bogle's solicitor, Bryan Prudham, said the brigade had wasted taxpayers' money by dragging the case to court.

The brigade declined to comment