Norman Grant, pictured outside Aberdeen Sheriff Court

Norman Grant, 59, of Cranford Road, Aberdeen, claims he suffered painful head and wrist injuries in the accident at his home in March 2002.

At Aberdeen Sheriff Court, he said the hose extension knocked him down his stairs as he tried to clean cobwebs.

Dyson admitted liability for the accident and the court must now decide the amount of damages to be paid.

The accident happened the day after his partner bought the cleaner.

Extension 'broke apart'

In court, Mr Grant used the purple and aqua Dyson to demonstrate how he had been injured.

He said: "I needed the extension, the hose extension with the brush at the end, to suck up the cobwebs above."

Holding the vacuum extension outstretched, Mr Grant said: "I was at the top step, going as near as I could to the cobwebs.

This is the model of Dyson cleaner involved in the claim

"I stretched out and got to the nearest one. Then it (the extension) just broke apart and came back at me.

"Suddenly there was just this flash came at me and something struck me on the arm and the next minute I found myself at the bottom of the stairs."

Mr Grant said he had fallen down about 14 or 15 steps.

He said: "I still get pain, it's not nearly so bad as it was, but if I use my wrist a lot it aggravates it and it gets worse. There are nagging pains, I can feel it throbbing."

Mr Grant, who is semi-retired, said he had been forced to turn down a driving job due to the pain.

He said other activities such as golf, gardening, and household chores had also been affected.

'Quite distressed'

Jessie Jack, 60, Mr Grant's partner of 40 years, told the court she found him at the bottom of the stairs.

"It had whacked him on the head," she said. "He wasn't happy at all - in fact he was quite distressed."

Asked if Mr Grant was embarrassed, she replied: "You know what men are like, men don't like to have too much fuss round them."

The case was adjourned for more evidence but a new date has yet to be fixed.

A Dyson spokesman: "Our insurers, not Dyson, are handling this case. Dyson would not recommend that anyone use their vacuum cleaner while standing on a chair at of the stairs."