Asda has been fined for a double breach of health and safety rules.

The supermarket chain was fined a total of £2,400 plus £3,855 costs after it admitted health and safety regulations were breached in two separate incidents.

Christina Hobden-Ward was hurt when she fell while getting off a motorised shopping trolley for the disabled at Asda's Brighton Marina store in January. Mrs Hobden-Ward, who is disabled, claimed the supermarket had ruined her life.

Since the accident she has been housebound apart from hospital appointments, but she travelled by private ambulance to Brighton Magistrates Court to hear the company admit an offence under the Health and Safety at Work Act.

The company, which was prosecuted by Brighton and Hove Council, admitted failing to make a suitable assessment for health and safety risks in relation to the trolley.

Mrs Hobden-Ward was using the trolley at the store for the first time on the day of the accident. She fell as she was getting off the seat and attempting to stand up using her crutches. One of her legs twisted under her as she fell.

She said: "Since the accident I cannot walk with crutches and I have been confined to a wheelchair. I have put on weight because I am immobile but the doctor won't do an operation on my leg until I lose weight.

"This is the first time I have been out since the accident, except when I have gone to the hospital. I have been shut away looking at four walls and it is doing my head in. I feel I have lost my independence.

In a second accident at the Brighton Marina store, the court heard a counter assistant working at the store in July last year suffered a broken knee after slipping on the wet floor near a dishwasher in the customer restaurant kitchen.

Paul Rogers, prosecuting, said the dishwasher was not in a suitable location.

The company admitted failing to ensure the dishwasher was used in suitable conditions and was fined £2,000.

Asda was fined a further £400 after it admitted failing to make a suitable and sufficient assessment of health and safety risks in relation to the shopping trolley incident.

Mr Rogers said: "It is not clear exactly what happened to cause her to fall back. The vehicle was not examined so it is not possible to say exactly what was wrong with the car at the time of the accident."

A health and safety officer found maintenance records on the trolley were not adequate.

Mr Rogers said: "If those responsible for maintenance are unable to identify the risks there is potentially a problem for those using it. It is not possible for the council to prove lack of maintenance caused her injury."

Frederick Philpott, representing Asda, said there were no faults with the shopping trolley and the offence only related to a breach of the maintenance regulations.