DOZENS of accidents in Essex’s schools have left taxpayers facing a bill of up to £350,000 in compensation payouts.

Claimants, mainly parents but also neighbours and contractors, have recorded 44 claims following incidents in school playgrounds, classrooms and halls over 12 months from April 2007, a Freedom of Information request by the Gazette has revealed.

In Tendring, a bench toppling over and causing bruising to someone’s legs has led to a £7,500 claim, while separate injuries caused by a nail sticking out of a shed and a trip due to an uneven surface were settled without cost to Essex County Council.

Another claimant sued over an injury caused when a teacher allegedly burned a student by accident in a science experiment, but the claim was settled at no cost to Essex County Council.

Elsewhere in the county, one person is claiming £350 in damages to personal property “due to vibrations from fireworks” while the largest claim, of £35,000, was the result of an alleged stone-throwing incident.

Jerry Glazier, Essex general secretary of the National Union of Teachers, said teachers made the same decisions on the safety of their pupils as parents would when looking after their children.

“Whether we like it or not, we are living in an increasingly litigious society where it seems to be the easy thing to lodge a claim against any authority if people perceive there is justification for doing it,” he said.

A county council spokesman said the payouts should be put into context of the near £1 billion spent on Essex’s schools each year and added national safety guidelines were followed at all schools.

“Each case is dealt with on its own merits and when necessary, the council will vigorously defend its position.”