A HAMPSHIRE surgeon whose career was set back by a knee injury suffered when he slipped on some custard at work has won almost £40,000 damages.

John Conti injured the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in the October 2000 accident while a senior house officer.

He required reconstructive surgery in December that year which was ultimately successful and has now made a good recovery.

In October 2004, liability was agreed against St Mary's Hospital NHS Trust, Paddington, west London, and catering company Sodexho Ltd on the basis that Mr Conti should receive 40% of his claim because he failed to keep a proper look-out.

Mr Conti, 36, of Hemlock Way, Chandler's Ford, is now a registrar general surgeon at St Mary's Hospital, in Newport on the Isle of Wight.

He argued that the injury had delayed his progress to a consultant's post by around four years and significantly affected his earnings.

But, Judge Hegarty QC, at London's High Court, assessed the delay to his career at only one year and awarded £38,928 damages.

''Mr Conti was something of a high-flier with an academic bent.

''I am very sure that, but for this setback to his career, he would have progressed through the stages of senior house officer, specialist registrar, and taken time out during that to do a three year PhD.

''That would have taken his career up to about October 2010. He then would have had extremely good prospects of becoming a consultant.

''That compares with the situation in which he now finds himself where, as it seems to me, it is most likely that his career progress to that giddy plateau would have been set back by about one year.'' The judge said that Mr Conti's knee was undoubtedly vulnerable because of the February 2000 accident but it would have probably resolved naturally without surgery but for the October incident.

Without the consequences of the custard accident, Mr Conti would probably have saved himself from falling at the barbecue.

Afterwards, Mr Conti, who has already received £10,000 of the award as an interim payment, said: ''I am relieved it is all over.

''It's been a very long path - six years.

''I think justice has been done and now I can just get on with the rest of my life.''