A businesswoman who had private detectives put on her trail after being injured in a crash has been awarded a fraction of the £300,000 compensation she claimed.

Judge Andrew Edis said he found "illuminating" secretly-shot video footage of Elaine Redfern, 59, walking, driving and "enjoying a pleasant lunch" without any obvious signs of pain.

He said although the video did not totally destroy Mrs Redfern's credibility, it led him to doubt the reliability of the account he received from her as to the extent of her disability.

Mrs Redfern, of Mendip Road, Worthing, had claimed £300,000 damages for whiplash injuries after another vehicle slammed into the back of her car on the A27 link road in Hove on November 15, 1993.

The judge awarded Mrs Redfern, who once owned a chain of local florists shops, a far lower sum.

The exact amount has yet to be calculated but is expected to be about £65,000.

The judge said private investigators had taken footage of Mrs Redfern on various occasions in 1999 and 2000.

He said: "The most important video is that for October 27, 1999, when Mrs Redfern is seen walking, driving and enjoying a pleasant lunch without any obvious signs of pain.

"She appears to walk normally and to move her neck without restriction."

Mrs Redfern had told the court that some days were worse than others but the judge said: "I do find the contrast between the medical examinations and the appearances on the video to be illuminating."

The judge accepted Mrs Redfern had suffered serious neck pain in the aftermath of the accident.

By the summer of 1994 that had largely settled, although she still suffered intermittent back pain.

Her symptoms had continued through 1995, 1996 and the first three months of 1997 but the judge ruled she had been able to function quite well in the bed-and-breakfast and rental chalet business she set up after selling her florists chain.

The accident, the judge ruled, had not been a material cause of her decision to sell most of the business in 1995 and the rest last year.

Between July 1997 and early 2001, Mrs Redfern had suffered from fibromyalgia, a condition causing generalised pain in many parts of the body.

The judge ruled it was not caused by the accident.

He accepted Mrs Redfern continued to suffer episodes of neck and back pain but said it was not of such severity as to prevent her from working.

Earlier, Mrs Redfern's counsel, Simon Readhead, said the impact of the accident was of such severity her seat was wrenched from its moorings.

Insurers for the other driver involved admitted liability but hotly disputed the amount of compensation due to Mrs Redfern.