A WORKER has received nearly £16,000 in compensation from his employer after an accident at a Kent port.

David Kershaw, 40, from Chatham, was left with a serious injury when stones, stuck to the bottom of a container at Thamesport on the Isle of Grain, cracked and splintered in his right eye.

The £15,896 out-of-court settlement was agreed, it was revealed on Wednesday.

Mr Kershaw was working as a marshal at the container port, one of the UK’s busiest, when the accident happened in 2005.

Marcus Weatherby from Pattinson and Brewer Solicitors, said: "Mr Kershaw’s employers routinely store containers which were protected by sticky bitumen on a gravel area which leads to stones sticking to the bottom of the containers.

"When the heavy containers are lowered onto vehicles it is said to be like a shooting gallery as the splinters from crushed stones shoot out.

"This kind of injury could have been predicted as stones are regularly catapulted from under the containers.

"Property damage reports show that the splitting and spitting of stones is a problem which should be taken into account and protection should be provided for Mr. Kershaw’s eyes.

"This compensation recompenses Mr Kershaw for the pain he suffered due to the injury."

In a statement Mr Kershaw, said: "There have been quite a few incidents in the past when stones stuck to the containers have cracked and shot out, sometimes hitting people and sometimes raining down on our cabs.

"I was lucky not to lose my eye. Something has to be done to stop this happening again."

Thamesport London Limited refused to comment on the outcome of the case.