Emma presents as a very said figure - immature, emotional, unhappy and imbued with self-pity

Mr Justice Wright

Ms Hansen, from the Isle of Wight, said her ongoing suffering was down to the fact that she was bullied while a pupil at Ryde High School.

But Isle of Wight Council disputed that the teenager was bullied and denied that it had failed to protect her adequately.

Sitting in London, Mr Justice Wright described the case "indeed a melancholy story".

'Hyperbole'

But he said that the evidence of Ms Hansen and her mother, Hannah, was "couched in language of hyperbole" and said he had had to approach it with great caution.

"Emma presents as a very said figure - immature, emotional, unhappy and imbued with self-pity," he said.

"This is a most unhappy action which, in my judgement, should never have been brought.

"This pursuit can have done little or nothing to assist Emma's personality problems in the time taken to bring it to trial," he said.

'Learning difficulties'

The court had heard that Ms Hansen - who had struggled at school with dyslexia and learning difficulties - had joined the mixed comprehensive in April 1991, after the private convent school she had attended shut down.

I used to feel physically sick walking to school with stomach pains and headaches

Emma Hansen

She claimed that other pupils had sniggered and pointed, calling her "gormless, thick, stupid and dumb".

They had intimidated her by deliberately crowding her, tripping her up and flicking bits of paper at her in class, she said.

Ms Hansen claimed that she had reported the matter to staff repeatedly, but was just told to ignore it because the bullies would soon get bored and give up.

'Physically sick'

"I used to feel physically sick walking to school with stomach pains and headaches," she told the court.

This long-running action reflects a growing and regrettable trend in litigation against public servants who are doing their best and working to the highest of standards

David Pettitt, former head teacher

"My sleeping was disturbed. I just felt ill whenever school was mentioned."

But Mr Justice Wright said that, from the outset, staff at Ryde High had identified her as having special needs and there was even a notice in the staffroom alerting teachers to her problems.

When one looked at the history of Emma's life, he said, there was "no real basis" to think that the source of her unhappiness was primarily or even substantially connected with her life at school.

Former head's relief

The former head teacher at Ryde High, David Pettitt, agreed with the judge that the case should never have been brought.

"At the end of the day, the taxpayer is having to pick up the bill for everything - not just our costs through our legal insurance, but their costs as well," he said.

Mr Pettitt, now assistant director of education at the council, added: "This long-running action reflects a growing and regrettable trend in litigation against public servants who are doing their best and working to the highest of standards."

The costs of the case, which lasted 11 days, have been unofficially estimated at �250,000.

The rejection of Ms Hansen's claims followed the case of Leah Bradford-Smart, 19, from Crawley, who sought �75,000 from West Sussex County Council last year, claiming she had suffered post traumatic disorder after being bullied.

Miss Bradford-Smart's allegations were also dismissed - on the grounds that much of the bullying had taken place outside the school gates.