Schoolboy makes eye injury claim

Fife Council maintains the boy made a "very good recovery"

A schoolboy who claims his plans to pursue a career as a footballer was ended by an exploding beaker in a chemistry class is seeking £200,000.

Wayne Logie, 17, from Dysart, in Fife, suffered an eye injury from flying glass despite wearing safety glasses.

His father Andrew has raised an action suing Fife Council on behalf of his son at the Court of Session.

The boy was a pupil at Buckhaven High School when he was hurt in the accident on 10 February, 2003.

His chemistry teacher was carrying out an experiment by adding hydrochloric acid to zinc but the beaker exploded and glass was propelled through the air.

It has been maintained in the action that if the teacher had exercised reasonable care the beaker would not have shattered.

It was also said that if safety glasses with side protection had been issued or the schoolboy had been told to stand behind a Perspex screen he would not have been injured.

Right lower eye

The schoolboy suffered facial abrasions, cuts to his right lower eye lid and a laceration of the left cornea which had to be sutured under a general anaesthetic.

The teenager said he was a keen footballer who had been receiving coaching from a Scottish Football Association development officer.

Fife Council, which has contested the action, said guidance provided by the Scottish Schools Equipment Research Centre stated that safety spectacles provided adequate protection.

It claimed that it fulfilled all duties placed on it and maintained that the boy made a "very good recovery".

The case was called before Lady Paton as the local authority sought to prevent it being heard by a civil jury.

She decided the case could go before a jury at a future date.