A HOSPITAL cleaner who suffered years of torment after locking himself in a cupboard at work has won thousands of pounds in damages.

Alec Tinworth, from Polegate, was trapped in the cupboard next to a morgue at Eastbourne District

General Hospital.

He was eventually freed after frantically kicking at the door in a bid to escape but the frightening episode has left him with severe claustrophobia and a back injury.

After the incident, which happened four years ago, his fear of confined spaces,

coupled with the injury, meant he was unable to carry on working as a cleaner.

When bosses at the hospital were unable to offer him alternative work Mr Tinworth, 61, decided to sue the hospital for £100,000 in damages for negligence.

But now the hospital has decided to settle out of court, with Mr Tinworth accepting an undisclosed sum.

The father of four is now too scared to use the toilet without the door open and has to drive with the windows of his car wound down.

When the incident happened, he was looking for cleaning pads in a cupboard next to the hospital's morgue but the door suddenly slammed shut and he was unable to get out.

He shouted for help but there were no staff about.

Mr Tinworth said after an hour he started to feel as if he couldn't breathe and began to kick the door handle. He was released after someone heard the noise.

He later discovered he was suffering from a trapped nerve in the back and when he returned to work he found he

had developed a fear of cupboards.

In an attempt to overcome his phobia he even entered the closet with a psychologist but panicked as the door closed behind them.

A hospital spokesman said: "This case involved a peculiar set of circumstances.

"He was locked in and had to wait until someone released him.

"A settlement was achieved for the injuries he sustained in attempting to kick the door."

This is the latest scandal to hit the hospital.

A damning NHS report into the hospital last month forced the resignation of chief executive Clive Uren and chairman John Barkshire.

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