A man who was left in crippling pain after his foot was crushed by a metal barrier at work has finally been given compensation after an eight-year legal battle.

In November 2011, Burnham man Monty Singh, 51, was working an evening shift at the Heathrow Airport Terminal 5 railway station as a customer services assistant.

When he tried to close a heavy metal barrier, it came off its hinges and collapsed, crushing his left foot.

Mr Singh’s manager came to his aid and tried to call an airport paramedic - but there was not one available so he made his own way home.

“We’d open and close the metal barriers on a daily basis, and there was nothing to suggest that this one was such a hazard,” he said.

“Clearly it had not been maintained – in reality, it was an accident waiting to happen.”

The following day Mr Singh went to A&E, where an x-ray confirmed he had suffered a severe crush injury to his foot.

Over the following months his condition deteriorated and damage to his nervous system caused the onset of Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS).

Over months and years of treatment doctors fitted a spinal cord stimulator implant – which aims to reduce pain for people with CRPS – but this led to Mr Singh developing additional spinal pain.

He continued to work for Heathrow Express Ltd on a part-time basis until late 2017, when his contract was terminated.

He has since been able to retrain as a mortgage advisor, but still struggles walking for more than a few minutes and finds himself in intense pain if he sits down for too long.

He added: “The only time I am comfortable is if I lie down. My foot swells up if I walk for too long and sitting in a chair causing my severe back pain. The accident completely changed my life.

“It’s been a long fight to get to this point, with my employer trying everything to avoid the consequences of its health and safety failures."

The former railway worker was backed by transport union the RMT and Thompsons solicitors, who helped Mr Singh secure a "substantial" settlement - covering medical treatment costs, time off work and future costs.

Dan Poet, the Thompsons executive who supported Mr Singh, added: “While we are glad to see that at long last Mr Singh has been fairly compensated for his injuries, this case is yet another example of why health and safety should be of paramount importance to all employers, as it can prevent life changing injuries to people’s lives.”

A spokesperson for Heathrow Express said: “We wouldn’t comment on the specifics of any legal case, but the health and safety of its passengers and colleagues are always our top priority.”