A former school worker, who claimed she was spied on by Bradford Council when it was wrongly suspected she was moonlighting while on sick leave, has settled a claim for damages outside Court.

Shamim Khan, 47, of Heaton, Bradford, had brought the claim against the Council for psychiatric injury caused by unlawful surveillance after it was alleged two men followed her for six weeks.

She claimed the Council had breached her right to respect for private and family life under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights.

A hearing was due to take place before Judge Shaun Spencer QC at Bradford County Court yesterday. But the case was settled before coming to court after more than two hours of discussions between lawyers for both parties.

After the case, Miss Khan and her legal representatives said they were unable to comment as part of the terms of the settlement.

Miss Khan’s solicitor, Adrian Green, of Stachir Bashir and Green in Bradford, had previously revealed that his client had been employed as a community development officer at Nab Wood School and was absent from work in 2008 due to stress and depression. He said then that the school wrongly believed she was working elsewhere while off sick, and contacted the Council. Mr Green said the Council “placed her under close surveillance for six weeks at taxpayers’ expense”.

He said Miss Khan, a single parent, was already ill and vulnerable and when she found out about the surveillance her health worsened and she suffered psychiatric harm.

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