TRIPS, burns and slips in schools have led to more than £120,000 being spent on compensation payouts in the past three years, the Evening Mail can reveal.

Cumbria County Council has spent a total of £121,867.90 on upheld claims between April 1 2013 and March 31 2016 following accidents involving pupils or staff in school grounds and on trips.

The figures include legal fees and break down as £8,400 in 2013/14, £90,020.20 in 2014/15 and £23,447.70 in 2015/16.

The most expensive payment by injury came in 2014/15 when £46,836.20 was spent specifically on claims relating to falls.

The significant claims are particularly divisive due to the cash-strapped authority having to make cuts to various services following budget reductions.

Responding to the Cumbria-wide figures, Jonathan Isaby, chief executive of the TaxPayers' Alliance, said: "Leaders in schools must ensure they live up to the highest legal standards required by law as the most serious accidents can ruin lives.

"In such cases, it is entirely appropriate for compensation payments to be made.

"But sometimes accidents do happen which aren’t anyone's fault and the authorities must root out anyone who is playing the system with spurious demands for taxpayers' cash.

"We must never forget that every penny paid out in compensation is a penny taken away from teaching budgets."

The figures were obtained by the Evening Mail through Freedom of Information laws.

The data shows at least nine claims were recorded across the 36-month time period, with the vast majority being personal injury claims.

Council response

A Cumbria County Council spokesman said: "The volume of compensation claims relating to local authority schools varies each year. Most claims relate to incidents involving personal injury.

"Many of the claims paid between April 1 2013 and March 31 2016 relate to incidents that occurred several years previously, and costs vary depending on the nature of the claim.

"Compensation claims are forwarded to the council’s insurance company, who work with us to investigate the claim and advise as to whether there are any grounds for compensation.

"Where it is appropriate, the council will defend claims in order to protect public funds."

National picture

+ National figures obtained in 2014 found that £3.3m was handed out to parents of children in London, Manchester and Birmingham over five years after they were injured at school. Some of the incidents involved injury during a PE lesson, falls from playground equipment and a door shutting on a child's fingers.

+ One pupil in Leicester received £250,000 in compensation last year following an undisclosed injury.

+ In 2012, three science technicians at Richard Rose Central Academy in Carlisle were compensated after they were exposed to bromine fumes.

+ The NASUWT teaching union secured compensation of £19.7m for its members during 2014, with claims relating to personal injury as well as unfair dismissal and discrimination.