THE family of a young girl who suffered a serious eye injury on a dangerous metal display hook have welcomed a compensation pay-out made by store bosses.

Matalan has paid out £1,700 to five-year-old Demi-Lea Corr, who was scarred when she fell onto one of the spikes at the company's Tonge Moor Road branch.

Dorothy Corr, the little girl's grandmother, was at Bolton County Court to hear a judgement by District Judge Joanne Shaw.

Mrs Corr welcomed the outcome, but said it had been a long, hard fight for the money.

"It's taken them two-and-a-half years to agree to this," she said.

"At the end of the day it's a drop in the ocean for them. But I am happy it is all over now -- and it is a lot better than the £500 compensation they offered at first."

Mrs Corr, of Lichfield Avenue, Tonge Moor, was shopping with her grand-daughter at Matalan in November 1999 when the accident happened.

Demi-Lea, then aged two, fell and landed on a metal display spike, which did not have a protective rubber cap on the end. It stuck in her eye and her grandmother had to lift her off it.

The incident has left the little girl traumatised. She has frequently wet the bed and does not like anyone putting tight clothes over her head. Demi-Lea, who lives in Newton-le-Willows, will receive the money, plus interest, when she turns 18.

Matalan was fined £3,000 by magistrates in May last year and ordered to pay £1,618 costs after pleading guilty to failing to ensure the safety of its customers.

Just two weeks later, a Bolton Evening News reporter visited the store and found 12 spikes that had not been covered with the rubber caps. This was despite the company saying it had introduced a comprehensive checking procedure.

The Health and Safety Unit of environmental services launched an investigation and served Matalan with an improvement notice.

They were told to put caps on all the spikes or face a £20,000 fine. Matalan have since changed the design of the hooks.

Matalan have made no comment throughout the case.