A SOLDIER who lost the sight in one eye during a game of water polo with fellow recruits is suing the Army for damages.

David Gillespie, 31, from Durham, claims the Army is responsible for his injury which happened when he was poked by another player.

The Army denies responsibility and is contesting the two-day hearing at Newcastle County Court.

The court heard that Mr Gillespie, then 20, took part in the game with 16 other recruits in their free time after being told they were not allowed to play football.

Nicholas Davis, acting for Mr Gillespie, told the court that the game soon got out of hand. He said: "It began to get rough, with people ducking each other. The soldier lifeguard took no action.

"A number of the men complained, and there was a temporary lull in rough play for ten minutes, then it started getting out of hand.

"During the course of the game the claimant, in the act of passing the ball, was struck in the right eye. The result was he lost his sight. It was probably the result of someone pushing a finger into it.

"The claimant says that, at the time of the accident, the game was at the stage where any man in possession of the ball was liable to be jumped on by one or more members of the opposing team. The game bore little resemblance to polo."

Mr Gillespie is suing the Army for negligence, and is claiming £68,824 for loss of earnings.

He began his Army career in November 1990 and was discharged on medical grounds in 1991.

He told the court: "I passed the ball away to my front left and something hit me in the eye. I can't remember much about it.

"I remember seeing something in front of my eye and the next thing I knew I was at the side of the pool."

Mr Gillespie told the court that he was aware of the lifeguard sitting outside of his office.

He said: "Every time I turned around he was sitting by the side of the pool. I can't say I sat and watched him the whole time we were playing the game."

Mr Gillespie was taken to hospital were it was confirmed that the optic nerve behind his eye had been severed.

He said: "I don't think it was vindictive. I don't think the person who struck me had gone out to blind me."