Police Officer fails in disability lump-sum compensation claim

A former police officer who was seeking compensation has been informed that he does not qualify for a lump sum payment after an incident which left him suffering from post traumatic stress disorder. The individual Mark Pugh, aged 50, was working as a dog handler for South Wales Police when he became severely depressed and suicidal after he was attacked buy a mob of fans at the riots which took place in an FA Cup tie between Cardiff City and Leeds United in 2002. Mr Pugh has previously been successful in claiming a disability pension but has now been denied a lump sum compensation claim. This news has come despite Mr Pugh now being regarded as 100% disabled, the South Wales Police Authority have also stated they do not believe he is fit or healthy enough to work. A spokesperson for the authority has stated, Applications for these payments are very rare because only officers who have suffered 100% disability which is permanent are entitled to them. The solicitor representing Mr Pugh, Nigel Daniel, has stated that his client has been treated appallingly and believes that the authority has made a decision which is totally incorrect. Mr Pugh was recently in the news when it was discovered that the South Wales Police Department had spent over 100,000 on Operation Thames, a surveillance operation where almost a dozen officers from South Wales Police and the neighbouring Dyfed Powys force were used to spy on him for months. This was an attempt by the authority to see if Mr Pugh was faking his disability.