A schoolgirl has won thousands of pounds in compensation from Bradford Council after falling in a PE class while two teachers were talking among themselves.

Sarah Waters suffered severe nerve damage and dislocated her right elbow when she fell awkwardly as she jumped a vaulting horse.

She was taken by ambulance to Airedale General Hospital, Steeton, in severe pain and has been left with numbness and pins and needles in her right hand, for which there is no treatment.

Three years after the accident, Sarah, now 16, still suffers pain, her fingers lock and she is about to undergo further physiotherapy.

Before the accident at Parkside Middle School, Cullingworth, she swam for the school, but has been unable to continue with the sport because she cannot straighten her arm.

And the hearing at Bradford County Court was told by Sarah's solicitor Ram Saroop that she has had to devise a new way of writing because of her condition.

In its ruling, the court found that Sarah, another pupil and possibly more had mistaken the brief instructions given to them before the session and there had been inadequate supervision of the activity.

The court ordered the council to pay £10,000 to the family as well as meet their legal costs. The award will be invested until her 18th birthday.

The court was told Sarah - who wants to be a primary school teacher - now writes with her pen resting against her ring finger and has difficulty carrying out activities like sewing.

The numbness was so bad on one occasion that Sarah, of Sutton Drive, Cullingworth, could not even feel when she had burned herself.

Today her mother Jane, a bank clerk, said the family had taken the case to court because they did not want it to happen to another child and wanted supervision in school activities improved.

Mrs Waters said: "This is a learning point for the future."

Sarah, who now attends Bingley Grammar School, is about to go into the sixth form after passing eight GCSEs, said: "There was no teacher nearby when I had the accident. My friends ran for help and say it took three times to get the teacher's attention."

Mr Saroop told the court that three teachers were looking after four groups made up of nine to ten children when the accident happened. He said when Sarah fell, two teachers were standing talking away from the apparatus.

But the council, which contested the claim, said there was adequate supervision and instruction and Sarah did not appear to the teachers to be doing anything unusual at the time of the accident.

The council said children were told to avoid anything they were not capable of doing and were also given a demonstration before starting. A teacher was also said to have had a clear view of all the activities throughout the session.

The court was told it was necessary for teachers to discuss things during activities which were related to lessons.

Mr Saroop, a partner and head of the personal injury department of Bradford solicitors, Read Dunn Connell, said: "The crux of the problem is foresight. A higher standard is needed in children than adults.

"Some games are more dangerous than others. In this case the vaulting horse, without proper supervision, was extremely dangerous.

"The school is under a duty to take all reasonable and proper steps to prevent any of the pupils under its care from suffering injury."

A spokesman from Bradford Council's legal department said: "The judge found in favour of the claimant and our education health and safety section will be studying the findings."

In a separate case last week, the Council was ordered to pay £4,000 by the County Court after a seven-year-old boy received serious facial injuries when he slipped on a wet school floor.