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A county councillor is recovering from "severe whiplash" after his chair collapsed under him during a council meeting.

Mike Bennison was taken to hospital as a precaution following the incident during the economic prosperity, environment and highways board meeting on Thursday September 8.

Cllr Bennison said he was still in pain a week after he sustained the injury and is expected to be recovering at home for another week, but that he can still assist residents via the telephone and email.

“There were about 40 of us in the room, in the Ashcombe Room, all sitting around in tables the way it is normally set up,” the councillor for Hinchley Wood, Claygate and Oxshott said.

“I was about two feet from the wall and the whole side of the chair came off and whiplashed me straight back into the wall.

“I hit my neck and banged my neck.”

Cllr Bennison said he was jammed up against the wall for half an hour, as he did not want to move, in case he had broken his neck.

An ambulance took him to Kingston Hospital and following assessment there were no broken bones, but he suffered "severe whiplash".

Cllr Bennison said the council was having carpenters to check over all of the chairs at County Hall.

The meeting moved into another room whilst Cllr Bennison was checked over by first aiders before the ambulance arrived.

“I was stuck with my head jammed into the wall,” he said. “I didn’t move it in case it was broken.

“I can answer emails and help people and direct people in the right way.

“I am carrying on the best I can.

“I am hoping to get back in a week. The only difference is I am not able to do my usual going around the streets and knocking on the doors of people to see them.”