A top High Wycombe school is being taken to court for £100,000 damages after a plumber said he suffered eye injuries while he was working there.

Wycombe Abbey School is being taken to London’s High Court by Guiseppe Mucci, who claims he was hit by a ball-bearing fired from a catapult.

Mr Mucci, 47, who lives in Sierra Road, says that the incident happened in a corridor of the grade II listed mansion which houses the school.

The ball-bearing was allegedly fired from a catapult by one of his colleagues and hit him in the right eye.

A High Court writ issued by Mr Mucci accuses the school of negligently failing to train employees correctly and requiring Mr Mucci to work without putting in place measures to protect his health and safety.

It also alleges the school authorities failed to warn him of dangerous conditions in his workplace, failed to have any care for his safety and negligently allowed the other worker to have a black widow catapult at work, and to discharge it.

It says there was a failure to have a system warning staff over inappropriate behaviour.

The writ indicates that the school has already admitted negligence but agreement has not been reached over the level of damages Mr Mucci, who is seeking up to £100,000, should receive.