£45,000 for Joey's stuntman

A stuntman who was hurt while doubling for Friends actor Matt LeBlanc won £45,000 at the High Court yesterday for 'life threatening' injuries on a film set.

Andy Smart fell about 4m (13ft), breaking his ribs and spraining an ankle during a fight scene in All The Queen's Men. The 42-year-old, of Ewell, Surrey, also suffered a collapsed lung and missed out on earning up to £2,500 a week on the second Harry Potter movie.

The accident in 2000 happened when he swung on a rope. He hit a rostrum and wall before falling and smashing into a metal table.

Judge Nigel Wilkinson awarded the damages against Germanbased Streamline Filmproduktion, which was in charge of the shoot in a factory in Austria.