A STUNNED Blackburn man is facing a legal bill for £5,000 after an incident five years ago at a children's birthday party.

Peter Shaw cannot believe he is being asked to pay for damages for a personal injury which happened at a council-run leisure centre.

Mr Shaw, a chartered accountant, took his daughter Nicola and her friends to Waves in Blackburn as a birthday treat five years ago to celebrate her ninth birthday.

The package included a swim followed by a meal and then a session at the centre's indoor play area. Mr Shaw of Carrs Wood, Blackburn said: "I took my daughter Nicola and her friends to Waves for a treat for her ninth birthday.

"One of the girls fell in the play area and injured her arm. When her parents came they took her to hospital and it turned out she had fractured her shoulder.

"The party was in the summer of 1995 and I was stunned when a solicitor's letter arrived two weeks ago saying I was being sued for damages." Mr Shaw added: "It appears Blackburn with Darwen Council has instructed solicitors to sue me after they were sued.

"When I booked the party I assumed that the people at Waves would take some responsibility for the children.

"Perhaps people will think twice about taking their children to a council-run leisure centre if they can be sued when something goes wrong."

A spokesman for Blackburn with Darwen Council said: "The matter is in the hands of our solicitors and we do not want to comment further."

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