Compensation bid by paralysed skier

PARALYSED teenager Simon Chittock will today hear whether Court of Appeal judges will keep alive his hopes of massive compensation.Mr Chittock was 17 when he cracked his spine in the April 1996 accident at an Austrian resort during a week-long trip organised by Woodbridge School.

PARALYSED teenager Simon Chittock will today hear whether Court of Appeal judges will keep alive his hopes of massive compensation.

Mr Chittock was 17 when he cracked his spine in the April 1996 accident at an Austrian resort during a week-long trip organised by Woodbridge School.

The teenager of Tronville Road, Clapham, south London, was injured after trying to overtake a slow-moving group of skiers. During the manoeuvre he lost control, skiing off the edge of the piste.

In July last year, High Court judge Mr Justice Leveson, riled Woodbridge School 50 per cent responsible for the accident, but that decision is now under challenge at London's Appeal Court.

Senior judges Lord Justice Auld, Lord Justice Carnwath and Sir Swinton Thomas will give their ruling on the school's appeal today .

Edward Faulks QC, for the school, told the judges earlier this month that nobody could fail to feel 'profound sympathy' for Simon, and that the incident was also a 'tragedy for the school.'

Staff had organised successful trips before Simon's disaster, while the supervising teacher's general approach had been praised by Mr Justice Leveson.

The basis of the High Court judge's ruling against the school, rested on findings that the teacher in charge should have arranged closer supervision following an earlier incident when Simon and his friends skied 'off-piste.'

Mr Faulks said the case had far-reaching implications for schools around the country, in terms of the duties involved in organising such trips.