TA saved pupils from being crushed

A teaching assistant who was injured while protecting children from a falling climbing frame has been awarded £10,000 compensation.
June Belcher, 49, was working at Hartlebury Primary School in Hartlebury, Worcestershire when the frame fell from the wall of the sports hall.
She grabbed the bar to protect the six pupils standing nearby, but the frame landed on her thighs. She was left with severe bruising and swelling, and whiplash to her head and shoulders. She also experienced insomnia and nervousness after the accident, and was off work for seven weeks. Her left leg has not fully recovered.
June Belcher's union UNISON made a claim on her behalf against the firm responsible for securing the climbing frame to the wall.
Mrs Belcher said, "I had six young children pulling out the equipment with me, and they could have died if it had fallen on them. The accident has changed my life and you can still see the lump on my thigh through my clothing."
Unison's general secretary Dave Prentis said, "I am happy that Unison has managed to secure some compensation fro Mrs Belcher, but it will not make up for the physical and mental scars caused by the incident. Safety must come first in schools, and that means making sure equipment is regularly checked and maintained."