A mechanic who developed severe pain throughout his body in the years after he cut his finger repairing a police car has been awarded £400,000 in compensation.

Alexander Darg, 39, was checking a problem with an airbag in a police car at Limehouse Police Station in East London. As he did so, he cut his finger on a knife that was wedged between the passenger’s seat and the driver’s seat.

Although the cuts were relatively superficial, Mr Darg subsequently developed a condition called Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS). The syndrome is thought to be triggered by injuries that are relatively minor but which go on to cause more severe pain throughout the body. Sufferers report that they have burning sensations in specific areas, such as their legs, arms, feet or hands.

Mr Darg brought the case against the Metropolitan Police, which admitted liability for the accident but disputed the amount of the claim, arguing that he should only receive compensation for the original, relatively minor injury.

In court, lawyers for the Metropolitan Police presented secretly shot DVD footage of Mr Darg going about his daily business. He was shown shopping, walking his children to school and shooting at South East Airgun Club.

The judge, however, decided that Mr Darg was not pretending and his symptoms were genuine. The Metropolitan Police was ordered to pay £400,000 in compensation as well as £100,000 in legal fees.