A recycling worker from Wiltshire is in line for a seven-figure compensation payment after a botched neck operation left him severely disabled.

Michael Hart underwent surgery to remove a compressed disc at John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford in September 2008, in what should have been a routine procedure.

However, an error by surgeons led to complications which caused irreversible damage to Mr Hart’s spinal cord.

As a result, he is now confined to a wheelchair, with only limited movement in his hands.

Following his release from hospital in April this year, he began a medical negligence claim against Oxford Radcliffe Hospital NHS Trust, which has now admitted full liability for the mistake made by its staff.

A compensation figure is still to be agreed, but it is almost certain to be more than £1 million, as it will take into account loss of earnings and the cost of long-term care for Mr Hart.

The news comes after the NHS Litigation Authority’s annual report revealed the health service spent £807 million to settle compensation claims in the 2008-09 financial year.