A Norfolk petrol retailer who was being sued by a policewoman who injured herself on his forecourt during a call-out, has welcomed her decision to drop the case.

Steve Jones, the owner of Nun’s Bridges Service Station, described the decision as “a victory for commonsense” and that he hoped he could now put the incident behind him.

He said he had not been personally informed of the decision but his insurers were very hopeful the case had been dropped.

Earlier, the Police Federation released a statement about the action, saying: “PC Kelly Jones has today withdrawn her civil claim for injuries sustained on duty. Contrary to media reports at the time PC Jones was not seeking a vast compensation payment, rather she was seeking monies that covered the income she had lost as a result of her injury. She will bear the financial loss with a hope that the wider concerns the public might have can be resolved by government and the police service for the future.

“All members are guaranteed a legal service provision by the Federation when the criterion is met, and we will always do whatever we can to support officers injured on duty. Once referred, the Federation reviews cases in consultation with the relevant lawyers before making a decision to pursue based on the merits of the case.

“This case raised a very real issue in that police officers find themselves financially disadvantaged when injured at work, with no other option other than to seek financial redress just as any other employee in any other industry would in the same circumstances.”

The incident occurred last August when Steve Jones called the police to investigate a suspected burglary following an alarm being triggered on his forecourt at around midnight. He was with WPC Jones when she tripped on a kerb on the forecourt. He helped her up and they carried on with the search.

He heard nothing about the incident until March when he received a three-page claim for damages from London lawyers Pattinson Brewer.

WPC Jones was seeking compensation for injuries to her wrist and leg, claiming the owner of the petrol station failed to keep her safe as she investigated a possible burglary. The allegations included the fact he failed to turn the lights on, or to warn her of the kerb.

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