The company which owned a nursery in Norfolk has been ordered to pay £75,000 in relation to an incident in which a 14-month-old child’s finger was amputated after being caught in a closing door.

Just Learning Ltd has been fined £40,000 and told to pay costs of £35,000 after the little finger on the boy’s left hand was trapped in a kitchen door at its nursery in Thorpe St Andrew, near Norwich, in October 2009.

In a hearing at Norwich Crown Court, it was revealed that the firm had not installed finger guards but has since added them to all doors accessed by children. Speaking in court, Judge Jacobs said the incident had been handled by the firm in a “less than satisfactory” manner.

Public liability specialists at Irwin Mitchell act for people of all ages who have suffered serious injury as a result of safety failings.

David Urpeth, a Partner and expert in such cases, said: “Sites such as nurseries and schools have a duty to ensure that facilities are safe for the youngsters placed in their care, so this case is a worrying reminder of the consequences of failing to consider the issue.

“Unfortunately, incidents like this are not uncommon and we represent many families whose youngsters have been hurt in accidents which could and should have been avoided.

“We hope that all organisations which look after young children can learn lessons from this case and ensure that the same mistakes seen here are not repeated in the future.”