Waste firm Sita has offered to pay out after its binmen were accused of throwing a lemon through a family's window.

The Seal family are furious after the flying fruit came through the window of their front door, causing more than £100 of damage.

The waste company refuses to accept liability but is offering the Seals a £99.88 goodwill payment.

Andy Seal, 37, who lives at the house in Montgomery Street, Hove, with wife Rosemary, 35, daughter Stacylee, eight, and parents Ronald, 76, and Florence, 72, wants the company to pay for a new door and glass.

The family believes the lemon came from its own rubbish bags outside the house.

Mr Seal said: "I heard a thump and I thought someone was coming in the door."

He looked out of the living room window and saw the binmen collecting rubbish. At first he thought one of them on the pavement opposite was gesturing to a colleague, but now believes they were throwing the fruit to each other.

He said: "It wasn't until I heard the second crash and it came through the window I realised what they were doing."

Furious Mr Seal went into the street to confront the binmen who he said told him to contact head office. He then spoke to the dustbin lorry driver who he claimed apologised but told him to contact his bosses.

Mr Seal called Sita bosses, who arrived at his home in less than an hour to inspect the damage. He said they asked the family to get an estimate for the damage which came to £110.

The estimate was sent to Sita who wrote a letter to the family offering £99.88 and saying: "We have investigated the claim you have made, and have no reason to believe that Sita has any liability towards you arising out of your allegations.

"However, entirely without prejudice or legal liability, we are prepared to make an ex-gratia payment to you of £99.88 as an act of goodwill, provided that you accept this as a full and final discharge of any and all liability which have or could arise out of the incident that is alleged. We reserve the right to repudiate your claim and indeed make a counter claim, if, upon further investigation, it appears that we were the injured party."

Florence Seal said the letter made the family feel as if the damage was their own fault.

Mr Seal said he had since discovered the glass and door are not a standard fitting and may cost more to repair than the original estimate. He wants the company to pay fully for the damage.

A Sita spokeswoman said the letter was a standard one and the family could resubmit a quote and it would be dealt with from there.