A COUNCIL worker suffered a cracked rib as the result of a botched practical joke.

Accident logs released under the Freedom of Information Act reveal a woman suffered injuries after “a colleague tampered with her chair”.

The victim, referred to in council logs as Barbara, worked on the council’s Anti-social Behaviour Team.

A council source said the incident, which happened in March, was intended as a good-natured prank and added: “It was supposed to be a joke, nobody expected her to get hurt.

“There was an investigation, but it turned out the person responsible was already leaving, so they were able to brush the incident under the carpet.”

Basildon Council refused to comment on the incident, citing the Data Protection Act.

The council said releasing details of the investigation could reveal information leading to the identification of those involved.