A schoolboy who was badly hurt when he was dragged under the wheels of a bus is in line to receive a substantial sum in compensation.

Luke Murtagh, now aged 15, was running for the bus, which had just left the bus stop. He knocked on the window in the hope that the driver would stop, but he carried on driving. Unfortunately, the bottom of the boy’s trousers got caught up in the bus and he was pulled underneath the vehicle.

Luke suffered damage to his leg, spine and hip and a section of his skin was ripped off in the accident. In hospital, he had to undergo several operations, including plastic surgery.

The court heard that Luke had frequent nightmares and suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of his ordeal.

Arriva London South, the company that operates the buses in that area, admitted liability for the accident but there is disagreement over the level of the compensation award. A second hearing will determine the amount payable and it is possible that this could run to hundreds of thousands of pounds.