A resident has been fined over £18,000 for making false claims in attempt to seek compensation from the council.

The Wigan resident, Phillip Harkins, had asked for up to £20,000 in compensation from Rochdale Borough Council after sustaining injuries from falling off his bike in 2020, which he claimed had happened due to hitting a pothole.

Although Mr Harkins had fractured his collarbone in the alleged accident, the council resolved to defend the claim after carrying out investigations, prompting the resident to take the case to court.

In a statement, the council said District Judge Haisley had thrown out the claim and decided that ‘Mr Harkins had acted in a fundamentally dishonest way’.

The judge had determined that the timeline of events provided by Mr Harkins was not accurate and did not coincide with the one given by a friend he was cycling with on the day of the incident.

It was also revealed at the hearing in October 2025 that the fracture sustained by Mr Harkins was ‘likely due to him performing “bunny hops” on his bike, rather than hitting a pothole’, with Mr Harkins having told two medical professionals at a hospital that this was the case.

As a result, the judge ordered Mr Harkins to pay the council a sum which totalled at just over £18,000 to cover its legal fees.

Cllr Carol Wardle, cabinet member for finance, said: ‘We investigate all compensation claims because any money paid out is ultimately coming from the taxpayer and so we have a responsibility to ensure that public money isn’t wasted.

‘Mr Harkins has paid a high price for trying to pull a fast one with what was essentially a totally fabricated claim. I hope this finding deters anyone who may be tempted to make similarly fantastical claims in the future.’