Taxpayers’ bill

But many will be surprised to learn that the legal bills incurred by the majority of councils in dealing with claims is even higher than the £1m annual cost of the compensation itself.

The campaign group the TaxPayers’ Alliance, which obtained the figures, claims councils are wasting money by fighting long legal battles.

But councils do have a duty to spend taxpayers’ money responsibly and it would be a disgrace – not to mention open the floodgates to many more claims – if they simply caved in and settled claims early.

What is really needed is a clampdown on compensation culture by some individuals, who appear to think they should receive damages for the smallest incident, but particularly on the kind of solicitors who encourage claims.

The Government has proposed changes to crack down on no-win, no-fee legal firms. Reform is desperately needed but it must protect those who have a genuine claim at the expense of those who do not.