A woman who claimed that working at fuel giants Shell UK Ltd had left her with personal injury has been awarded £25,000.

Michelle Gould, 26, of Church Street, Braintree, who claimed she had developed repetitive strain injury (RSI) while working at the multi-national company was awarded the pay-out at Colchester County Court, yesterday.

Judge Nicholas Brandt said he accepted that Shell had shown a lack of care towards their employee but rejected her claims that over-work and a lack of breaks had caused the injury.

He said the pain in her arm was caused by the "bizarre" way she used the computer mouse which she demonstrated to him in court last week.

"This case came to light before me as an RSI claim. A number of doctors and experts were to fight this claim on that basis.

"Miss Gould demonstrated for the first time that she was not performing her duties how everyone thought she was. She was performing them in a quite different way."

Miss Gould had demonstrated holding the mouse with her hand, wrist and forearm unsupported which was unnatural the court heard.

Although it was an unnatural way to use the equipment he added Shell should have noticed how she was using it and corrected her.

He said: "In my opinion the way in which she was using the mouse should have been picked up on.

"Therefore Shell failed to take reasonable care for the claimant."

Shell were ordered to pay damages and part of Miss Gould's costs.

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