A woman who broke her foot after tripping on a sunken water main cover was told by a council she could not expect it to be like "a bowling green".

Jean Holden received the injury and smashed her glasses when she tripped on the cover in Olives Meadow, Uckfield.

The 57-year-old wrote to the council to claim compensation for the glasses but was unprepared for the response from its solicitors.

In a letter, they said case law stated "a little unevenness here and there is to be expected by users of the highway and should not be judged by the standards of a bowling green.

"While the pavements in question may well have imperfections here and there, this does not automatically suggest the defects are dangerous and should be repaired."

Mrs Holden and her family said East Sussex County Council added insult to injury with its attitude.

The council's solicitors said no compensation would be offered as they did not believe the council was liable.

They said the pavement was inspected regularly and checks prior to the incident revealed no defect considered dangerous or in need of repair.

Mrs Holden, of Uckfield, said: "It makes my blood boil. You might have expected an apology, not a snotty letter like this. It's absolutely disgusting.

"I can't fake breaking my foot. I was in a lot of pain and in plaster for six weeks. I've gone through all this discomfort and it seems no one really wants to know."

Mrs Holden's son Jim said: "It was an outrageous reaction. I am incredulous they could pass off such a serious and traumatic incident with such a flippant response."

A council spokesman said: "Although the county council doesn't accept liability we would like to apologise to Mrs Holden."