A DEFLATED bouncy castle has cost taxpayers more than £30,000 after a youth worker hurt his back while putting it away.

Community education worker Dean Gibbon said he injured his lower back as he tried to lift the inflatable on to a trolley while working on his own at Chester-le-Street Youth Centre, in County Durham.

His employer, Durham County Council, had sent a letter to the 51-year-old on the day of the accident, informing him that it was taking disciplinary action against him because of poor time-keeping and a bad sickness record.

The council said the accident had been invented, but a judge at Newcastle County Court found in favour of Mr Gibbon and said there was no evidence to suggest the accident had not happened in the way he described.

Mr Gibbon, whose legal action was backed by his trade union, Unison, was awarded £33,750 in compensation.

He said: "I am so pleased to be vindicated at last. I was simply following normal procedures for putting away the bouncy castle as I had observed others doing.

"I have suffered a lot of pain and loss of earnings and this compensation will certainly help to get me back on track."

The case dated from March 2002 when Mr Gibbon, who no longer works for the council, was required to move the bouncy castle from the centre's gym to a storeroom.

Despite health and safety requirements that the castle should not be moved by one person, there was no one to help him. The court heard evidence from former staff that it had become standard practice for the inflatable to be put away by one person.

Michael Bray, of Thompsons Solicitors which represented Mr Gibbon, said: "Employers cannot expect to expose employees to unacceptable risks at work and then refuse to support them when injuries occur.

"While compensation can never make up for the difficulties Dean has faced, we are very pleased with the outcome of the case."

A spokesman for Durham County Council said the authority did not comment on compensation claims.