Firm fined £1m after worker killed in Manchester by reversing HGV
Mr Warburton's partner, Hayley Tomlinson, described the day he died as the worst of her life. "To be taken in such a cruel manner made it even harder," she said. "Knowing the pain and fear Lee must have gone through was unbearable. "But nothing compares to the moment I had to tell our children their Daddy was never coming home."She added: "It broke my children's spirits - they lost the sparkle in their eyes. Lee was their hero."My children will miss out on all the milestones Lee should have been here for – walking them down the aisle, meeting their first child. "They miss the cuddles, the love he showed them, the days out. This has changed our lives forever."
The HSE investigation found Bestway Northern Limited, of Abbey Road in Park Royal, had failed to implement a safe system of work for vehicle movements.The company also failed to adequately assess the risks involved in the task or provide sufficient training for employees acting as banksmen.It pleaded guilty to breaching regulation 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. As well as being fined £1m, it was ordered at Manchester Magistrates' Court to pay prosecution costs of £11,950.After the hearing, HSE inspector Jane Carroll said: "The company had failed to implement a safe system of work for its delivery and unloading activities, thereby exposing employees and others to the risk of being struck or caught by workplace vehicles."Nearly a quarter of all deaths involving workplace transport occur during reversing, most of which can be avoided by taking simple precautions."All work settings involving vehicles need to consider the risks arising from their use and implement adequate measures to ensure the safety of those involved in these activities."
Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Gunman who tried to kidnap Princess Anne claims innocence after release
The gunman who attempted to kidnap the Princess Royal in 1974 has claimed he is innocent nearly six years after his release from a secure hospital, according to a report. Ian Ball tried to abduct Anne and her then-husband Captain Mark Phillips as they were driven along The Mall to Buckingham Palace on March 20 1974. The princess kept her cool and when Ball, then 26, told her to 'come with me for a day or two' because he wanted £2 million, she replied 'not bloody likely, and I haven't got £2 million'. The Daily Mail reported that Ball was released from Broadmoor Hospital on probation in 2019 and has subsequently self-published an autobiographical novel called To Kidnap A Princess. In an interview with the newspaper, Ball, now 77, said: 'I'm an innocent, sane man because I had good reason to believe the gunpowder had been taken out of the bullets and another girl had been substituted for Princess Anne.' Discussing Anne, Ball said: 'She wasn't bothered on the night. 'I didn't scare her. I was more scared than she was.' The description of Ball's book on Amazon reads that it 'opens with the dramatic and thrilling attempted kidnapping of Princess Anne' and details the author's 'eventful and turbulent 45-year stay in Rampton and Broadmoor criminal lunatic asylums'. It adds: 'The book is an emotive read and it will make you laugh, make you cry, shock you even, but ultimately it will leave you in wonder at the indomitability of the human spirit.' Ball pleaded guilty at the Old Bailey in May 1974 to charges of attempted murder and attempted kidnap and was detained without time limit under the Mental Health Act. A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: 'Restricted patients can be recalled back to hospital if their mental health deteriorates to such a level that the risk they pose becomes unmanageable in the community.' Anne, who was 23 at the time of the attempted kidnapping, later said she was 'furious at this man who was having a tug of war with me' and for ripping her favourite blue velvet dress. Anne's father, Prince Philip, later quipped of the attempted kidnapping: 'If the man had succeeded in abducting Anne, she would have given him a hell of a time in captivity.' Ball had blocked the princess's car with his own as it drove along the Mall and fired a series of shots through the rear window as he tried to kidnap her. The princess and Captain Phillips were unhurt during the late-night ambush but Anne's bodyguard, chauffeur, a police constable and a journalist were all shot by Ball, who was armed with two revolvers. Anne's bodyguard, former Metropolitan Police inspector Jim Beaton, was awarded the George Cross after being shot three times as he protected Anne. Passer-by, former heavyweight boxer Ronnie Russell punched Ball twice in the head as he tried to kidnap the princess. For his bravery Mr Russell was awarded the George Medal by Queen Elizabeth II, who told him: 'The medal is from the Queen, but I want to thank you as Anne's mother.' Discussing the incident, Mr Russell previously said Ball was trying to drag Anne from her car while her husband was pulling her back. 'She was very, very together, telling him, 'Just go away and don't be such a silly man',' he said. 'He stood there glaring at me with the gun and I hit him. I hit him as hard as I could – if he had been a tree he would have fallen over – and he was flat on the floor face down.'
Metro
an hour ago
- Metro
Cat named Leonardo da Pinchy terrorises town by stealing people's underwear
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video A cheeky cat called Leonardo da Pinchi has been stealing pants and socks from his neighbours. His relentless laundry raids have made him quite the notorious celebrity in Mairangi Bay, New Zealand. The 15-month-old feline thief has expensive taste too – seeking out silk boxer shorts and thick men's work socks, often with the clothes pegs still attached. He's even stolen a brand-new $300 NZD (£134) cashmere sweater. His criminal life first started when he was let outdoors for the first time last year. The problem has got out of hand for his owner Helen North who struggles to manage her cat's kleptomania. She said: 'My daughter was at home sick and she rang me at work saying, 'It's bad, it's bad, this is the worst thing he's brought in, it's really bad,' she said. 'Because it was beautiful. I was like, 'Ooh, can I keep that?' But I couldn't.' To Helen's horror, the stolen stash just keeps growing – everything from piles of socks, loads of underwear, and even a bizarre five-foot-long stuffed snake. Leo's record so far in one day is nine stolen items. Helen continued: 'He brought in a jersey this morning at ten past eight. The shops hadn't even opened.' Helen has tried everything under the sun to stop his thieving habits including keeping him indoors to leaving out clothes at home for him to steal. She said: 'He only wants stuff that he shouldn't have.' She has no choice now but to post photos of his loot on a local Facebook page, along with an apology and her address. A woman recognised her pink and purple underpants, and a boy was reunited with his missing sports jersey. More Trending One of Leo's regular targets is allergic to cats and she is forced to dry her washing indoors. 'All of our neighbours think he's amazing,' she said. 'Some of them are quite put out that he hasn't actually stolen anything of theirs.' Helen hopes that this is just a childhood phase for Leo and that he will grow out of it. She added: 'I hope he grows out of it because I don't want to do this for like, 15 years. This is a lot of admin.' Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: You could have the cutest job in the world and become a duck-crossing warden MORE: Zoo kills 12 baboons because there wasn't enough space MORE: Tsunami warnings still in place after 8.8 magnitude Russian earthquake
The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
Pub chain with 63 sites giving away FREE beer and £1 pints with easy 2-minute move
A HUGE pub chain is handing out free beer and £1 pints with one simple step. The brewery will be dishing out the drink of your choice across the majority of its UK sites. 3 3 3 The limited offer runs in most BrewDog bars from July 31 to August 8. The popular beer joint will be handing out the free booze in London, Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen to celebrate Beer Nation. The festival is launching this summer and hopes to bring the popular brew into "as many hands as possible". Celebrating all things beer, the event will serve litres of free beer and pints for as little as £1. To claim this offer, customers just need to sign up online via the company's website. In bars outside of England, pints will be sold for £1.59 to meet legal requirements. The festivities will include a wide range of brew s too - from the much-loved Punk IPA to a classic Lost Lager or Hazy Jane. Waterloo, Waterloo Arms, Huddersfield, Hull, Bradford, Upminster, Edinburgh Airport, Gatwick Airport, and Edinburgh are not taking part in the deal. The same goes for any Manchester bar on 6 August. Lauren Carrol, Chief Operating Officer at BrewDog, said: 'Beer Nation is about sharing what we do best – delicious fresh beer - with the people who love it. "Whether you're grabbing a pint in the bar or grabbing a free can from one of the cities, we want everyone to be part of it. BrewDog to close TEN pubs across UK as staff set to be axed "This summer, raise a glass and join the movement – Beer Nation is coming!' BrewDog was founded in 2007 by James Watt and Martin Dickie. It bulldozed its way into the beer scene, flipping two fingers to the lager giants and slapping 'anti-establishment' on every can. In 2024, Watt stepped down from his CEO role after 17 years in the hot seat. He passed the baton to chief operating officer James Arrow as the "business pushed forward into its next phase of growth". Arrow later stepped down from the hefty role due, citing "personal reasons".
