Members of construction union UCATT from across Yorkshire have raised funds for a bench as a memorial for a former member killed at work.

UCATT member Raymond Jessop 53, was tragically killed in December 2009 when the ladder he was working from slipped while he was painting the outside of a house in Cranswick Grove, Hull. Mr Jessop was employed by Kier Building Maintenance who undertake repairs and maintenance on some of the city’s council housing.

Local UCATT activist Karl Stephenson, who is the union's shop steward at Kier’s, organised the collection among UCATT members in the region and raised sufficient funds for a permanent bench in Mr Jessop's memory, which has been erected in Queens Gardens in Hull.

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The bench was formerly unveiled last week with Karl Turner MP in attendance.

Mr Turner, said: "This tragic accident underlines just how dangerous the construction industry remains. It is essential that all parties at both local and national level begin to take the safety of construction workers seriously, in order to ensure that in the future other workers do not needlessly lose their lives."

Steve Murphy, Regional Secretary of UCATT's Yorkshire Region, said: "Local members and activists were determined to ensure that our former member should not be forgotten. It is essential that every effort is made to ensure that there are no similar tragedies in the future."

(CD/KMcA)