A MOTHER who claims her son was crippled after tripping on a dangerous school step is planning to sue his local education authority.

Anthony Gilmore, 13, fell while walking up steps at Whinfield Junior School, in Darlington, causing serious injuries to his thigh and knee.

The youngster spent six weeks in hospital after the accident two years ago and has undergone three operations.

He now needs a stick to walk and spends much of his time in a wheelchair.

His mother, Jennifer Hewitt, claims the accident was caused by a wobbly step.

"He has told us he stood on the second step and it moved," she said. "The next thing he knew, he'd gone down."

Anthony was taken to Darlington Memorial Hospital, where doctors told him he had severed his kneecap and knocked a chunk out of his thigh bone.

His stepfather, Richard Hewitt, said: "When the surgeon looked at him, he said it was what he would expect to see after a car crash. He said it was very, very serious. He told us it would affect him for the rest of his life."

Anthony's weight ballooned to 18st 11lb after the accident, though he has now dieted down to 15st 9lb.

The teenager, now at Longfield Comprehensive, must lose another two stones before surgeons can operate again.

"I feel he has been robbed of the most important part of his childhood," said Mrs Hewitt.

Mr Hewitt said: "He is crippled - it's as simple as that."

The couple plan to sue the authority for several thousand pounds alleging it failed to keep the steps in good repair.

They hope others who believe the steps were uneven will come forward.

The family's solicitor, James Ramage, of Hodgsons and Mortimers, in Richmond, North Yorkshire, said the council had a duty to ensure its schools were safe.

A council spokesman said he could not comment because the matter was with the authority's insurers.

A spokesman for the insurers, Zurich Municipal, said: "Any accident at a school is unfortunate. In this case, the council does have an inspection regime and there has been a health and safety inspection. However, we have agreed to take another look at the details."

Pauline Wood, acting headteacher of Whinfield Junior School, said she could not comment because she was not at the school at the time of the accident.