A British Airways flight attendant is suing the airline for £50,000 for injuries caused when he was hit by a ‘runaway’ drinks trolley.

James Searcy, 52, was knocked over mid-flight when the wheels of the trolley he was pulling went over stray luggage in the aisle, causing it to become unstable and its brakes to fail, the Daily Telegraph reports.

His leg got stuck inside the trolley, which was being pushed by a colleague, causing him to fall backwards on the flight from Munich to Heathrow in September 2017.

The Telegraph reports that papers lodged with Central London County Court reveal: “The claimant was pulling the buy-on-board trolley with his back to the passengers whilst his colleague was pushing the trolley.

“He noticed an obstacle in the aisle and motioned to his colleague to stop the trolley and attempted to stop the movement of the trolley himself by applying the brake so that the obstacle could be moved with his right foot. However, the brake failed and the trolley continued moving.

“His right leg became trapped in the trolley brake compartment and he fell backwards, landing on his left hand side.”

He suffered injuries to his knees, buttock, ankle and shoulder.

The court papers also reveal the airline has admitted liability through its insurers and thecase will go to trial to decide the level of damages, unless the case is settled out of court.

BA said it does not comment on active litigation.