Oxford thriller writer Joan Brady has received a £115,000 out-of-court settlement following her claim she breathed in fumes from a shoe workshop.

Dr Brady, 68, from Jericho, who was awarded the Whitbread Prize for her novel The Theory of War, won the settlement last week.

The payout came eight years after she first complained that chemical fumes from the shoe shop's workshop in Totnes, Devon, were drifting into her home.

Three years ago she moved to Oxford, and said she was relieved the matter had finally been settled, although the company, Conker Shoes, has not admitted any liability.

Dr Brady believes fumes from the workshop damaged her nervous system and said she was still suffering the effects - a loss of sensation in her left hand and both feet.

She said: "It's an incredible relief that this is finally over after all this time. It sounds like a lot of money, but there were quite substantial legal costs and I had to move house so I haven't even broken even - if anything I lost out.

"I was tempted to move out earlier but I thought 'I will be damned if I let them win'.

"The symptoms I suffered were lethargy, sleep disturbance and muscle weakness - I could have ended up in a wheelchair."

She added: "I love living in Oxford - it's a real fairytale kind of place and now I'll be able to concentrate properly on my writing."

Dr Brady has completed a sequel to her acclaimed thriller, Bleedout, which she expects to be published next year.

Her son, Alexander Masters, won literary fame with Stuart: A Life Backwards, a book about a homeless man, which was made into a BBC film.

In a statement, Guy Metcalfe and Prem Ash, former owners of Conker Shoes, which was sold two years ago, said: "Insurers and solicitors were fighting the case on the former owners' behalf and have recently made an offer out of court that has been accepted by Dr Brady.

"This offer was made purely on economic grounds because of the escalating legal costs, without any admission of liability.

"Following extensive research, tests and expert advice, it has not been proven that any ill-health experienced by Dr Brady could have been caused by emissions from the workshop.

"The former owners are sorry that they will not be given the opportunity to defend the reputation of the business that was founded on good, sound principles both ethically and environ- mentally.

"The Conker Shoe Company is very proud of the way it operates, blazing the eco-trail long before it was trendy, and remains committed to these ideals."