Father-of-two Graham Anderson was left paralysed after crashing into a tree while skiing off-piste during a winter break in the French Alpine resort of Puy St Vincent.

The 46-year-old is suing tour operators Michel and Wendy Lyotier, who trade as Snowbizz in Maxey, near Peterborough, for breach of duty.

During a hearing at London’s High Court, he claimed he should not have been taken on the run by instructor Jerome Portejoie because he was too inexperienced a skier.

But Mr Portejoie insisted he had carefully assessed Mr Anderson’s ability level and decided he was fit to be taken off-piste.

“He was normal skier for that level,” the instructor said. “(The run) was only 30 metres maximum from the main on-piste track. It was not a particularly difficult off-piste run and was suitable for beginners.”

Mr Portejoie recalled the moment he realised Mr Anderson, of Crapston in Devon, was involved in the accident in February 2004.

He said: “I saw that Mr Anderson had fallen over and was lodged against a small tree at the bottom of the run. It did not appear that Mr Anderson was unconscious. I then recall that Mr Anderson told me that he did not have any sensation in his legs.”

The case continues.