Company fined £600k after tyre fitter killed on M56

Summarised from 3 outlets · Updated 5 Nov, 06:52 · Archive

Halford Commercial Fleet Services Limited was fined £600k after employee Neil Fawcett, 21, died when a truck fell on him while repairing a tyre.

Neil Fawcett, a 21-year-old tyre fitter from North Staffordshire, was killed on 2 August 2024 when a truck fell on him while he was repairing a blown-out tyre on the slip road at junction seven of the M56 near Bowdon in Cheshire. He was positioned beneath the truck when a hydraulic lifting tool, or bottle jack, used to raise the vehicle slipped. The truck landed on him, causing fatal head injuries.

Halford Commercial Fleet Services Limited, a commercial tyre service provider based in Worcestershire, was prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive following the incident. The company was fined £600k at Warrington Magistrates' Court on 3 November. The HSE investigation found that Halford had not properly assessed the risks associated with replacing a blown-out tyre on a low-profile vehicle. Cheshire Live reports that Niall had not been sufficiently instructed by his employer before the incident.

Niall's mother Sharon said in her victim personal statement: 'Niall was only 21 years old when he died. He had his whole life ahead of him. He was planning to marry the following year and he and Megan were saving for a deposit on their first home together and talking about starting a family. Niall was building for a life he was excited for and this was taken from him in an instant. Niall went to work that day and should have been safe, supported and protected. Instead, my son never came home.'

How it is being reported

• Tyre-fitter, 21, killed on M56 in Cheshire after employer blunderThe firm has been prosecutedCheshire Live · 5 Nov, 06:00
• Company fined £600k after tyre fitter killed beneath truck on M56A TYRE fitter was killed when a truck fell on him as he was repairing a blown-out tyre on the M56 in Cheshire.Northwich Guardian · 5 Nov, 05:00
• Company fined £600k after tyre fitter killed beneath truck on M56A TYRE fitter was killed when a truck fell on him as he was repairing a blown-out tyre on the M56 in Cheshire.Warrington Guardian · 5 Nov, 05:00

In this story: Neil Fawcett · Halford Commercial Fleet Services Limited · M56 · Cheshire · Warrington Magistrates' Court

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem · Corrections log