Council ordered to pay £80,000 after man hit by falling lamppost

A council has been ordered to pay £80,000 after a man was struck by a collapsing lamppost.

Colin Shaw was left with life-changing injuries after the lamppost hit him in Glasgow in June 2023. The local authority admitted liability at the city's sheriff court on Thursday.

In a statement released through law firm Digby Brown, Mr Shaw said: "This accident has had a huge impact on my life and I am pleased it has now come to a conclusion. "I now request privacy as I continue my recovery and rehabilitation." Glasgow City Council apologised for the harm caused and said it will invest £7.5m in the coming years to replace outdated and damaged lampposts.

A spokesperson said: "We are very sorry for this incident and the harm this has caused to Mr Shaw. We accept the lighting column referred to in this case was not properly inspected.

"Following this incident, our approach to the maintenance of the city street lighting network has been updated and improved. "We now undertake a more thorough risk assessment of lighting columns, a new mapping system has been developed to help us manage the system more effectively, and we have also introduced a dedicated inspection team.

"The council has also allocated an additional £7.5m to allow the replacement of lighting columns across the city over the next three years." Read more from Sky News:Anthony Joshua pays tribute to friendsWoman jailed at 85mph smash that killed friends Debbie Carroll, who leads on health and safety investigations at the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS), said the incident could have "proved fatal" and has "irrevocably changed a man's life". She added: "It could have been avoided if the maintenance system in place at the time had been more robust in ensuring a full visual inspection of lighting assessed to be in poor condition.

"By failing to do so, Glasgow City Council left the public facing unacceptable risk. "This prosecution should remind duty holders that such failings can have serious consequences and they will be held accountable.".