UK police officer gets $20,000 payout for flea bite

  • 11/08/2017
UK police officer gets $20,000 payout for flea bite
Photo credit: Getty

A United Kingdom police officer has been awarded more than NZD$20,000 in damages after being bitten by a flea in his office.

West Midlands Police say he "received a settlement after receiving a flea bite at work that resulted in emergency surgery."

The force said it has liability insurance which covers compensation claims made as a result of injury.

The police department also had to fork out more than NZD$7000 in legal fees.

The payout was branded "ludicrous" by former Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron.

"Our cops do an amazing job keeping us safe. Compensation should be paid for injuries at work but some of these claims seem to take the biscuit.

"It's frankly ludicrous that taxpayers are footing the bill for when someone gets fleas on them."

However, Tom Cuddeford from West Midlands Police Federation, told The BBC compensation payouts "aren't flippantly made".

"You don't get [$20,000] for a simple flea bite. There's obviously a lot more involved in this incident.

Newshub.