Cyclist sues water firm over ice injuries

Dr Matthew Spencer Brown, 48, who runs a dental practice in Poplar, was cycling slowly through Crouch End when he hit the patch of ice.

He fell heavily, breaking his left thigh in several places, according to a High Court writ.

He needed three operations to repair the complex fractures and had to take eight months off work.

Dr Spencer Brown, who lives in Holloway, suffered extensive scarring and was left in constant pain.

He says he will never again ski or play tennis - two of his passions.

The dentist, who is represented by law firm Rosenblatt, claims that Thames Water was negligent in not acting on numerous complaints from residents about the water mains pipe leak in Montenotte Road.

The utility company has admitted responsibility for the leak and liability for Dr Spencer Brown's injury, which happened in January 2005. Negotiations on the amount of compensation continue.

A spokesman said: "Thames Water takes claims of this nature very seriously.

"We are working hard to tackle the levels of leakage in London; it is our number one priority. So far we have invested more than £400 million to replace 800 kilometres of Victorian water mains, many of which are over 150 years old."

Thames Water is Britain's leakiest water company, losing 700 million litres per day - the equivalent of 2,000 25m swimming pools.

In the summer of 2006, after two years of below average rainfall, it had to impose a hosepipe ban for the first time in 15 years. Regulator Ofwat ordered it to invest £150 million in plugging the leaks.