A care home provider has been fined £20,000 after a woman was left with severe burns to her body from entering a scalding hot bath.

The woman, who has learning disabilities, was being cared for at the Real Life Options centre in Bathgate, West Lothian, when the incident happened in August 2013.

After being taken to hospital, Nicola Jones, aged 32 at the time, was found to have full thickness burns to about 40% of her body and had to have all her toes amputated. She was also left without any flesh on her ankles.

The company today admitted breaching health and safety laws during a hearing at Livingston Sheriff Court.

Support worker Sharon Dunlop, 41, from West Lothian, pleaded guilty last month at the same court to breaches of the Health and Safety at Work Act.

During sentencing today, she was made the subject of a community payback order and told to carry out 160 hours of unpaid work.

Sheriff Peter Hammond told her: "Unknown to you because of a technical fault in the water system the water flowing into the bath was scalding hot, but you failed to check the temperature of the water and when Nicola Jones stepped into the bath she was unable to communicate the nature of the emergency."

The sheriff said it had appeared to have been an "isolated error" but said it was a "serious and reprehensible" breach of duty of care.

Solicitor advocate Raymond McMenamin, defending, said his client, who has no previous convictions, had found the consequences "deeply upsetting".

"This was a single error, albeit a tragic one, there was no malice or intent to injure," he added.

A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found no risk assessment was in place at the venue at the time for the risk of exposure to scalding water.

It issued two improvement notices following the incident addressing this and the company has since complied, the court heard.

Solicitor advocate John McGovern, defending, said there was nothing he could say to detract from the "terrible and tragic nature of this incident", but said the company has apologised to Ms Jones and her family.

The sheriff said it had been a "serious failing" on the company's part but in determining sentence he said he took into account its "exemplary" record and the fact it was a not-for-profit organisation.

Speaking outside court after sentencing, HSE inspector Hazel Dobb said: "The injuries sustained by Nicola Jones were easily preventable by the simple act of checking the water temperature before she entered.

"Employers should ensure that their staff are provided with a thermometer and training in the safety aspects of bathing or showering people for whom they provide personal care.

"Thermostatic mixing valves that reduce the maximum temperature of the water at the tap have reduced the number of accidents such as this and are a requirement in registered care homes.

"However, they are no replacement for a physical check of the water temperature. I would also urge anyone with an immersion heater to check that it has a secondary thermostatic cut-out to prevent the hot tank boiling if it fails."