Girl sues council over pregnancy

A 14-year-old girl is suing her local council for £50,000 in damages after she fell pregnant at a special needs boarding school.

The girl says Herts County Council education authority failed to safeguard her welfare when she was at the school.

She is due to give birth to a daughter in October and is still living at the Merseyside school, in a special mother and baby unit, while attending lessons.

A claim has been issued on the girl's behalf by the Children's Legal Centre.

'Suffered injury'

It states that she was "negligently placed" at the school where she became pregnant and stayed in a room next door to a boy of 16.

The claim says the school was unable to adequately supervise the pupils' behaviour.

As a result, it says, she "suffered injury, loss and damage".

Hertfordshire County Council would only confirm on Monday that it had received the legal claim but said no court date had yet been arranged for a judge to decide.

In a statement, a spokesman said: "We are in receipt of this claim which is in the hands of our legal advisers."