Maimed soldier mother in court move

Lance Bombardier Ben Parkinson, 23, lost both his legs and suffered 37 injuries when a landmine exploded in Helmand Province last September.

The paratrooper with the 7th Parachute Regiment Royal Horse Artillery will need specialised medical care for the rest of his life.

He has been awarded £152,150 in compensation, a sum which his mother, Diane Dernie, has described as an "insult".

The award is slightly more than half the maximum £285,000 which can be given to injured military personnel.

Now Mrs Dernie, 49, from Doncaster, South Yorkshire, is setting up a "fighting fund" to pay for her High Court bid.

She said: "We just can't believe that a scheme intended to care for soldiers who put themselves in such dangerous situations could be so flawed.

"Any assessment of injury must look at the totality of those injuries to make a true award based on the long-term needs of the victim.

"The severity of Ben's injuries means that we need to be able to move to an adapted house to help him live as normal a life as possible. I really don't feel this will be possible with an award of this size."

Mrs Dernie said her plans for a legal challenge are being backed by a number of other injured servicemen and their families.