A GWENT woman won a £20,000 settlement when she took legal action against her local council after allegedly suffering years of bullying at primary school.

The cash settlement after a three-year legal battle is one of the first of its kind in South Wales according to solicitors acting for Sophie Amor.

But the council does not accept that it, the school or any of its staff were actually liable to Ms Amor for any bullying she may have suffered.

Miss Amor, 22, from Blaenavon, who does not want her face to be pictured in the paper, told the Argus she suffered psychological damage and her life was "destroyed" by seven years of what she alleges was daily bullying at St Peter's Church in Wales School in her home town.

She claims nothing was done by the school to stop the alleged bullying and that she attempted suicide at the age of nine. Miss Amor says she has had psychiatric help for depression and deep-seated trauma since the age of 14 - due to the alleged bullying.

"Every day is a battle for survival," said Miss Amor who has to take medication to ease her condition.

A civil case brought against the council was settled out of court just weeks before it was due to be heard by the High Court sitting in Cardiff.

She told the Argus the action was "not about the money". She said: "It's about justice. I wanted to go to court and tell my side.

"I just don't want any other kids to go through what I did - I want to see proper bullying guidelines in schools.

"I wouldn't call what I have a life - I just exist.

When my parents go I don't want to be here any more.

"I have battled to lead a normal life but every day is a struggle."

Between 1986 and 1994 she alleges a catalogue of verbal and physical attacks - at its peak she was just nine years old. She says she was initially targeted because of her weight.

The daily bullying is alleged to have included verbal abuse, spitting, hitting, taunting and teasing, and on one occasion she says she needed six stitches to her eye after being pushed to the ground.

She said: "An average day would be suffering panic attacks and palpitations in the neck. I think I just shut off in the end."

When she was nine Miss Amor was diagnosed as epileptic and prescribed tablets. In desperation she claims she took an overdose.

When she was 14, and diagnosed with depression she was taken out of mainstream school.

Since then she has relied on the support of a community psychiatric nurse and her family.

Her mother Isabel, 56, said: "I must have told the head 50 to 100 times and I took the matter to the governors.

"I regret not going higher but I felt intimidated by the situation."

What the council says:

Peter Durkin, Torfaen council's corporate director resources, said: "This claim is about alleged bullying of a school pupil that took place between 1986 to 1997.

"Torfaen County Borough Council handled this claim as the successor authority to Gwent County Council. Torfaen has not accepted liability.

"The matter was dealt with by the council's insurers who made a settlement of £20,000 in September last year to resolve the matter and to minimise costs.

"Torfaen takes all pupil complaints seriously. Every school in Torfaen has robust anti-bullying policies which have clear guidelines to be followed."