A ST ALBANS woman who was scarred for life by hot tea from a fast food restaurant hopes to receive a £2,000 payout.

Florist Sheila Sortwell, 34, of Arthur Road, St Albans, was left with a two-inch scar on her inner thigh after the accident in the car park of a Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant in Ireland.

Mrs Sortwell has spent two years fighting the fast food giant, with the help of St Albans solicitors, Underwoods.

Now she has been told by her solicitor she is likely to be compensated for her injury, although KFC has denied responsibility.

The accident happened two years ago when Mrs Sortwell, a florist at Ayletts Garden Centre in St Albans, was visiting her parents in County Donegal, with her fianc Colin, 30, now her husband.

They stopped at a "drive-thru" restaurant where they bought the cup of tea and a cold drink, given to them on a cardboard drinks holder.

But Mrs Sortwell says the sharp material of the holder pierced the side of the polystyrene cup. The scalding tea spurted over her lap, leaving her with a deep thigh wound which is now a two-inch scar.

Mrs Sortwell said: "It was horrific. Initially I felt a funny liquid and then a burning pain. I ran into the restaurant but they had no first aid to offer me."

Her husband Colin said: "The incident cast a shadow over the whole trip.

"For the rest of the time, my wife had a big dressing on her leg and had to change bandages."

Mrs Sortwell's solicitor from Underwoods, Sharon MacArthur, is working for the couple on a no win, no fee basis.

Ms MacArthur said: "The rest of the holiday was a disaster for Mrs Sortwell.

"She was in a lot of pain and it took about nine weeks for the burn to completely heal. She has been left with a permanent scar as a result.

"Mrs Sortwell came to us at the end of 1997 and we have managed to progress the matter to the extent that we are now getting offers from KFC.

"We are concerned that this accident could happen to another member of the public."

She added that negotiations were continuing with the fast food chain.

A spokesman for Kentucky Fried Chicken said: "Customer injury at a KFC is very rare and for some time now there has been an in-store first aid policy to handle such incidents.

"Our packaging is designed to minimise the chances of an accident."

It is believed the company now has different packaging to that used at the time of Mrs Sortwell's accident.

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