Cameron Sharp, an ex-member of the British 100m relay team, was driving a minibus in the Borders of Scotland when he veered off the road and hit a tree.

His union, Unison, alleged medical negligence against Cumberland Infirmary in Carlisle and East Cumbria health authority.

Following a High Court case in London last week, damages of £1.5m were agreed on Tuesday.

'Tragic' case

The union said Mr Sharp's life was devastated by the treatment he received.

Unison's general secretary Rodney Bickerstaffe described the case as "tragic".

He added: "Cameron Sharp was a brilliant athlete with everything going for him.

"His life was devastated by the treatment he received. Instead of owning up to their dreadful mistakes, the hospital put him and his family through misery, hardship and years of suffering.

"The compensation will only go some way to make life a little more bearable for them."

Round-the-clock care

Mr Sharp, 40, who is married with two children, worked as a leisure centre manager at the time of the accident, which left him partially sighted and with little function down his left side.

Most people would have died, but his strength and fitness helped him to survive and his determination ensured that he would walk again - albeit for just a few metres at a time.

His wife, former Scottish and British international 800m runner Carol Lightfoot said most of the money would pay for his future around-the-clock care, costing about £30,000 a year.

Wife 'not bitter'

Mr Sharp's condition has not improved in the last three years and is unlikely to get any better, she said.

She said she felt sorry for their two children Carly, 11, and Lynsey, eight, because of the effect of her husband's injury on the family.

"I have never really been bitter about it, I feel sorry for the girls occasionally who have really had to endure this."

Mr Sharp was spotted as a teenager by Frank Dick, later Britain's national coach, and the pair had worked together for four years when Mr Sharp broke through into the international ranks in 1978.

Olympic semi-finals

He partnered Alan Wells in the Scottish 4x100m relay victory at the Edmonton Commonwealth Games that year, but it was the only gold he won in his nine-year international career.

He made the semi-finals of the 1980 Olympics in both the 100m and 200m as Wells enjoyed his finest hour.

Two years later at the Brisbane Commonwealth Games, Mr Sharp won bronze in the 100m, 200m and relay.

By the summer of 1987, he had become disillusioned with constant injury problems and retired, but remained active within the sport.