The Mayor of Harrogate, Coun George Crowther, who is suing his council after a fall

Furious Harrogate Mayor George Crowther is suing his own council after he came a cropper in the street.

Coun Crowther caught his foot in a pothole in the town centre and crashed to the ground, smashing his two front teeth, breaking his right arm and tearing ligaments in his left leg.

And now the councillor of 16 years is turning to his own officers for compensation for the injuries which have left him unable to carry out civil functions - including a dinner with former prime minister John Major.

Coun Crowther, 75, who was leader of Harrogate's Liberal Democrat opposition party from 1988 to 1990, said: "One lady who saw me fall said it was like someone had tossed a caber - that's how hard I fell.

"My foot had got caught in a trench where the asphalt had deteriorated from car wheels running over it. It was about two inches deep and just trapped my foot - hence my serious leg injury.

"As I fell I broke the fall with a document case I was carrying, but I had to put my right hand out to stop myself.

"At that moment I heard a terrible grating sound. It was my teeth on the kerb."

Coun Crowther had been due to dine with John Major at Harrogate's Pavilion last night but the honour went to his deputy Coun Gill Firth.

"We would have talked cricket all night - I was going to steer clear of politics but now I've had to cancel," he said.

Coun Crowther has carried out 130 mayoral duties since his election in May this year. Most of the remaining functions before Christmas will now go to Coun Firth.

He said: "Because I have broken my arm at the top, near my shoulder, it cannot be put in plaster and I have to wear a sling which prevents me from wearing a shirt and tie.

"Until that alters, I will not be attending functions because I would not go anywhere unless I was smart. That probably means I won't be able to do much this side of Christmas."

He cannot write or drive and has had to learn to shave with his left hand. He said: "It's terribly frustrating to be so restricted after being so active," he said.

Solicitors for Coun Crowther are now in touch with Harrogate Borough Council to agree the amount of compensation he will receive.

"It's not simply a monetary matter although that is obvious because of the damage to my suit, my glasses and my actual body," he said.

"What is important is that many, many people have contacted me since to say they have fallen over as well and something must be done about it.

"It's just not on to have a pothole like this simply covered over with Tarmac until that is fretted away by cars and reappears again.

"If it takes the mayor falling over to get something done, then I hope some good will come out of this."

Coun Crowther said footpaths in Harrogate town centre were "immaculate" but many of the roads needed urgent attention.

"It is absolutely ridiculous to have such high-quality pavements and a death trap just 12 feet across the carriageway," he said.

"I'm not a doddery old man who fell and I wasn't rushing for a bus. I was simply going about my business and this was the result.

"I'm not doing it for the money but to make sure this doesn't happen again."

And his high-profile tumble seems to have sparked the right reaction from highway chiefs who admit the section of road was already classed as "requiring urgent repairs".

Pat Fitzgerald, director of the council's technical services department, said: "It was classified as urgent but the hole was dealt with within 24 hours of Coun Crowther's accident.

"We carried out initial repairs and are going back this weekend to improve them."

Mr Fitzgerald said Coun Crowther's claim against the council would be referred to the authority's insurers.

"It was a very unfortunate accident but not an uncommon occurrence for a 75-year-old gentleman.

"Obviously we are sending Coun Crowther our best wishes for a very speedy recovery," he said.

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