ROADS bosses in York who fought and lost a lengthy legal battle with an injured cyclist say their insurers will bear all the costs.

As reported in The Press last month, City of York Council was ordered to pay £7,360 damages to Lauren Wilkinson, who fractured her jaw after hitting a pothole in Heworth in 2006.

Lauren, who was 17 at the time, won her case at the Court of Appeal, after her initial victory at York County Court was overruled by a circuit judge at Leeds Crown Court.

The Press used the Freedom of Information Act to ask the council how much it had spent on the case.

It has declined to state the costs of the case but Lisa Nyhan, its risk, insurance and creditors manager, said: “City of York Council did not directly incur any charges in respect of legal fees, external or otherwise, as the matter was dealt with by the insurance company in line with the policy held by the authority.”

The case was handled by Leeds-based Berrymans Lace Mawer, and the solicitor responsible was Christopher Kilner.

The council said it must also pay Miss Wilkinson’s costs, through its insurers, but the full schedule of costs has not yet been submitted.