Unite the Union secured the compensation via its free legal help scheme with leading personal injury specialists Thompsons Solicitors.

The member was responsible for the Nimrod, Hawk and ADV aircraft and was testing a section of a stationary Nimrod aircraft. As he entered the aircraft, he fell through a section of the floor that had been taken out and not replaced, and as a result, he broke his ankle.

The member explained that the severity of the break necessitated two operations on his ankle – the first to add metalwork and the second to remove a protruding screw.

Commenting, Laurence Faircloth, Unite the Union regional secretary, said: “This was a nasty incident for our member and his case highlights the importance of union membership. Without support and good legal assistance, employees who suffer through no fault of their own stand to lose out.”

The member said the incident “highlights the importance of being a union member because of the extensive support received through the legal help scheme when incidents occur.”