The director of a Dartford company has been acquitted of breaching safety rules which led to the death of a tyre fitter 10 years ago.

Andrew Wright,58, one of four directors of Watling Tyres, had denied two charges of failing in his duty under Health and Safety legislation.

The jury at Canterbury Crown Court took three hours to find him NOT guilty and Mr Wright said later: “I am delighted with the verdict of the jury but saddened by the time it has taken to come to court.

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“My thoughts are with the family and friends of Matthew Hoare.”

Mr Hoare, 21, from Shalmsford Street, Canterbury died when a tyre he was changing in Sandwich exploded.

Mr Wright’s barrister said that it was “ a complete disgrace” that it had taken 10 years and four months for the case to come to court.

John Cooper QC, in his closing address, told the jury: “You may feel that piles of papers just sitting in an office for months and months is utterly, utterly unacceptable.

VIDEO REPORT: Tyre firm cleared of fitter's death. Josie Hannett reports

“You must shake your heads and wonder about this astonishing amount of time this has taken and the total lack of justification for it.”

But today a spokesman for the Health and Safety Executive rejected the criticism saying it took over the investigation in 2013 and immediately launched a probe into “what had gone wrong and why”.

He said that the HSE had brought charges within two years in an effort to bring justice for Matthew.

Watling Tyres had earlier admitted breaching Health and Safety regulations – and will be sentenced in June.

Prosecutor Quentin Hunt told the jury how a puncture repair resulted in a fatal injury to Matthew on January 27 2006 at Hammill Brick Limited, Sandwich Kent.

“Mr. Hoare was attempting to repair a puncture on the nearside front tyre of a Dresser Loading Shovel in his capacity as an employee of Watling Tyre Service Ltd.

“During the course of the repair the tyre exploded, releasing compressed air, causing fatal head injuries to Mr. Hoare.

“Mr Burgess, an employee of Hammill Brick Limited, who was standing close to the incident and was therefore also exposed to risk of injury as a result of the failings of Watling Tyres," he claimed.

After the hearing, a spokesman for the HSE said: "The Health and Safety Executive’s decision to prosecute the Director of Watling Tyres, Andrew Wright, was made after a full and thorough investigation of the facts into the tragic death of Matthew Hoare in 2006.

"We would like to take this opportunity to offer our sympathies to Matthew’s family for their loss.

"We only bring prosecutions where we consider that there is a realistic prospect of conviction and it is in the public interest. We respect the decision of the jury in this case in finding Andrew Wright not guilty.

"HSE will continue to enforce health and safety legislation and take appropriate action when we believe a breach has occurred."

Watling Tyres, which is based in Green Road, Dartford has pleaded guilty to breaches of their duties under sections 2 and 3 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974- failure to safeguard the Health and Safety of both employees and non - employees.