The former head of a Birmingham council-run outdoor education centre in North Wales is locked in a battle for compensation five years after he nearly died in a 40ft fall from the top of a cliff.

David Howard-Jones, a qualified mountain guide, was head teacher of Ogwen Cottage Outdoor Pursuits Centre in the heart of the Snowdonia National Park for 31 years.

But in July 2004 he fell into the sea while out walking.

Mr Howard-Jones, now 64, was forced to take early retirement more than a year later after recovering sufficiently from his serious injuries.

Ever since he has been fighting for a cash pay-out from Birmingham City Council, which bought Ogwen Cottage for the use of local secondary school children in 1964.

Mr Howard-Jones, who has been unable to work as a mountain guide due to damaged hearing, orthopaedic problems and loss of peripheral vision, was turned down for compensation under the council’s voluntary personal accident scheme after the local authority claimed he was negligent by straying too close to the cliff’s edge.

The former geography and PE teacher at Coventry College of Education has since won an appeal after taking the case to arbitration.

But, five years on from his near-fatal accident, he has still to receive a penny in compensation as the wrangling continues into how much he should be paid.

He said: “From the onset I said it was an accident and I wasn’t seeking any compensation other than for my injuries under the council’s employees’ scheme.

“I am going to be around 20 per cent disabled but they are dragging their heels over the amount of compensation due. I would like them to cover my costs, which are almost £12,500, but they haven’t made me an offer. In total, I worked 34 years for Birmingham City Council and feel I still have a grievance with them. There was no enhanced retirement, just six months half pay as a lump sum. They wouldn’t even enhance my pension from 38 to the full 40 years.

“An ultimatum of ‘retire or else’ was my only option even though I had given almost my whole working life to the development of what has become a little jewel in Birmingham’s education crown.”

David denied the council’s negligence claims, saying he had the full backing of the British Mountain Guides Association, which investigated the accident.

“I had walked near the cliff edge to check on a colleague when my foot went into a hole, snapping my cruciate ligament and throwing me into the sea 40-50ft below.

“Fortunately, my colleague dived in to save me. I think I am extremely lucky to be alive.”

A Birmingham City Council spokesman said there had never been a question of employer liability in the case.

He added: “However, the council runs a voluntary personal accident scheme which provides payment to assist employees who have been involved in accidents.”

He said the council was under an obligation to ensure that each claim was thoroughly investigated and the claimant satisfied the qualifying criteria of negligence and permanent injury.

“In this case the claim was rejected as it was considered there was an issue of culpable negligence. The claimant exercised his right of appeal and Birmingham City Council co-operated fully.

“The arbitrator has ruled in favour of the claimant and the council accepts the decision of the arbitrator as final and binding.”

The spokesman said the council was in the process of determining what the compensation pay-out to Mr Howard-Jones should be.