A POUND shop has been left with a £7,000 bill after a badly-stacked display collapsed and knocked over an 86-year-old customer.

Poundland has been ordered to pay £3,000 compensation to Peggy Dempsey and to cover the £4,000 legal costs.

Sheriff Fiona Tait has ruled that Poundland should pay damages to Ms Dempsey after she was crushed under hundreds of batteries in the Perth branch of the chain.

Ms Dempsey, from Bridge of Earn, raised a legal claim against Poundland at Perth Sheriff Court after being knocked over and injured - while waiting in the queue to pay - on 25 July 2012.

"At around 10.30 am she was shopping in Poundland," her court action stated.

"She picked up a packet of batteries from a shelf and proceeded to join a queue of customers.

"In order to join the end of the queue she had to walk past a support stand containing batteries. The batteries were heavily loaded on one side of the stand, making it imbalanced.

"As she made to walk past it, it toppled over. It careered into her right side, knocking her to the ground. She suffered soft tissue injury and bruising to her left hip and side and to both legs.

The court heard that Ms Dempsey attended Perth Royal Infirmary for physiotherapy.

Poundland declined to comment on the case.