Council pay £24,000 to human tomato

A FORMER mayor made an expensive slip-up when his failure to vault a giant human tomato cost his council £24,000.

Jim Rodgers accidentally struck Belfast City Council employee Lorraine Mallon on the head in a publicity stunt that went spectacularly wrong.

Ms Mallon, who was dressed as the huge fruit to promote a gourmet food fair, suffered a slipped disc in the ill-fated leap.

She brought a negligence case against the council and a settlement was reached this week in Belfast High Court.

She has been paid 24,021, with the council also agreeing to cover the cost of the action.

Egged on by press photographers, Mr Rodgers tried to jump over her but slipped on wet grass on his run-up and kneed her in the back of the head.

The Ulster Unionist councillor said it would not be appropriate for him to comment on the outcome of the case, but at the time of the incident in September 2007 he apologised for his stumble.

"I have been absolutely devastated over what has happened," he said.

A council spokeswoman confirmed that a settlement had been reached.