Suffolk County Council have paid in excess of £3330,000 in compensation over the last four years to people who have tripped and injured themselves on pavements in the County.  The information, discovered thanks to a freedom of information request put forward by the East Anglia Times, details the cost to the County of paying personal injury compensation. The total paid since 2007 is £331,546, the largest single accident cost £70,000 and occurred in Primose Way, Needham Market, the lowest amount awarded was £50 for an accident in Hanover Court, Elmswell.

The details of individual accidents were not released, however the data did show that there had been thirty-four unsuccessful claims against the Council during this period. Larger individual claims included £22,766 for an accident in Strawberry fields, Haverhill, and £12,561 as a result of an incident in East Street, Sudbury. A Suffolk County Council spokesman claimed that they had a comprehensive program of repair and inspection and that most claims made against the county were defended successfully.

He did go on to admit that in a minority of cases the courts had made the decision that the council had fallen below the levels expected of them.