A KENT-BASED roofing company has been ordered to pay a total of £25,000 in fines and costs after admitting breaches in Health and Safety regulations that led to the death of a worker.

The firm’s contracts manager, Alan Swift, was ordered to pay a total of £12,500.

Maidstone Crown Court heard how an experienced tiler, Alan Mannerings, died from head injuries a week after falling from scaffolding at a house in Maidstone which was being extended for Alan Swift’s own use.

At the point where Mr Mannerings fell, there was no handrail in place and the scaffolding was just one board wide.

The scaffolding around the house, in Charlesford Avenue, Kingswood, Maidstone, had been erected by an experienced scaffolding company but, the court heard, it had since been adapted at Mr Swift’s request, by someone who had no skills in that capacity.

Following Mr Mannerings’ death on July 11, 2001, Alan Swift, 35, and Swift Roofing Contracts Ltd, of Spital Street, Dartford, were charged with manslaughter and with offences under the Health and Safety Act.

The manslaughter charges were dropped and James Curtis, QC, prosecuting, asked that verdicts of not guilty should be entered, after Mr Swift and his family company admitted the Health and Safety offences.

Alan Swift, of Charlesford Avenue, was fined £2,500 for failing to ensure that safeguards were in place and £7,500 for failing to prevent persons falling from a height of two metres or more. He was ordered to pay £2,500 towards the costs of the prosecution.

Swift Roofing Contracts were fined £5,000 and £15,000 respectively, for the offences, plus £5,000 towards costs.