A FORMER schoolgirl who claims she was a victim of bullying is suing West Sussex County Council for more than £50,000.

Leah Bradford Smart has issued a High Court writ for personal injuries and losses, alleging she was not provided with a safe educational environment.

The writ claims Miss Bradford Smart suffered bullying at Ifield Middle School in Ifield Drive, Crawley.

Her claim details two lengthy periods of alleged bullying between September 1990 and July 1993, and July 1993 and October 1994.

The incidents are said to have led to her not attending school.

The writ, filed in the Queen's Bench Division of the High Court of Justice, alleges West Sussex County Council and its servants or agents were negligent in Miss Bradford Smart's education.

Miss Bradford Smart, who lives with her mother, Susan, in Poynings Road, Hyde Drive, Ifield, now works in a cinema, but says she plans to return to further education soon.

She was granted legal aid to pursue her case in 1998, but the writ has only just been filed by Miss Bradford Smart's solicitors.

A spokeswoman for West Sussex County Council said no comment would be made until after the court case. However, the authority has previously refuted the allegations.

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