Newtown officer set for £4.5k payout

A police officer in Newtown is to receive over £4,500 in compensation after he injured his hand whilst breaking into a property.

The bill has been charged to Dyfed-Powys Police after a police officer successfully sued the force.

The incident occurred when PC Ken Harris responded alone to a 999 call about an elderly woman believed to be lying on the floor.

When he attempted to force entry into the property, he gashed his thumb on a broken glass pane.

The officer sued Chief Constable Richard Lewis, and District Judge Huw Roberts upheld his claim.

The Judge found that if a bag containing a "method of entry" kit had been available it would have contained Kevlar protective gloves.

However, he also ruled that the officer should have been aware of the risks as he was trained to an advanced level in methods of entry.

The claim was opposed by the Chief Constable, who argued that the injury might have been prevented or reduced if PC Harris had worn his standard issue leather gloves.