ACCOUNTANT Linda Newsome stands to win £250,000 in damages after badly-designed office furniture caused back problems.

Mrs Newsome was forced to quit her job because of a back illness aggravated by sitting for hours on end at a computer terminal.

She told how twisting and turning from her desk to her screen caused lasting damage that ruined her career.

Mrs Newsome has won an employment tribunal against Sunderland City Council in a ruling which could have enormous implications for Britain's office workers.

The Newcastle tribunal found that the council discriminated against 48-year-old Mrs Newsome on the grounds of her disabil- ity.

The panel is assessing the level of damages but guidelines suggest a figure of up to quarter of a million pounds for awards to people who suffer serious injuries in the workplace.

Mrs Newsome said: "I feel badly let down by the council after 26 years of loyal service.

"I feel that my career has been totally ruined. The money is important, but the main thing that motivated me was to see justice being done."

Her problems began in 1993 when the council introduced computers into its accounting department. Mrs Newsome claimed that health and safety regulations were breached after no proper check of her work station was made.

Soon after, she began suffering severe back and neck pains and was forced to take time off sick before eventually retiring early, due to ill health.

At a tribunal hearing earlier in the year a committee found the council had failed to take enough steps to help Mrs Newsome.

A spokeswoman for Sunderland City Council said: "It would be inappropriate to comment as a decision has yet to be made about the amount of compensation."