Mike Farron, a fraudster, has been ordered to pay a £10,000 legal bill after falsely claiming he injured his ankle due to a pothole and attempting to sue Flintshire council in north-east Wales. Farron alleged that he experienced severe pain as a result of the fall in February 2021 but did not seek medical treatment for the injury.
He also provided conflicting accounts of the incident, initially stating that it occurred at 6pm while crossing the road near his home, but later claiming it happened at 10am. Flintshire council admitted responsibility for the pothole but contested Farron's claim that it caused him to fall. The council presented evidence that contradicted Farron's claims, prompting him to withdraw his claim just three days before the scheduled trial in January. Following this, the council sought a court order to recover its legal costs, which was granted by District Judge Huw Roberts.
Judge Roberts deemed Farron's claim to be "fundamentally dishonest" and ordered him to reimburse the council's £10,000 legal bill.
Flintshire council expressed their satisfaction with the court's decision and emphasized their commitment to preventing fraudulent attempts to claim public funds. It was revealed through Freedom of Information requests that the council had paid over £35,000 to motorists for pothole-related incidents between 2017 and 2020. In 2021, the council received 1,312 reports of potholes, more than twice the number reported in the previous year. The council also compensated motorists with over £26,000 for vehicle damage caused by potholes in 2021, compared to £7,400 in the previous year.