A sub-contractor from Nottingham has been prosecuted after an employee injured himself when he fell from an unsafe ladder.

Hardev Gutheran Singh, 32, of Park Street, Lenton, Nottingham was found guilty of breaching regulation 7(2) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005 and regulation 5(1) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998.

He was ordered to complete 180 hours community service.

Lincoln Crown Court heard Charanjit Singh, 57, had been employed by Hardev Singh to carry out refurbishment work at a site in Ark Road, Louth on 11 May 2013.

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While Charanjit Singh was painting metal roof struts over three metres high, the ladder he was working on gave way.

He fell to the concrete floor below, dislocated his shoulder and shattered his knee.

As a result, he spend ten days in hospital and required a knee replacement. Since the incident, he has been unable to work.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found the aluminium ladder had been poorly maintained. A non-slip foot was missing and another was damaged, along with one of the rungs.

HSE inspector Martin Waring said: "Falls from height are the biggest cause of death and serious injury in the construction industry. It is essential that equipment with the proper fall protection measures are provided to prevent incidents of this kind.

"The condition of the ladder was such that it should never have been used.  Other more suitable equipment which was readily available on the site, such as a tower scaffold, this was not considered for this task by Hardev Singh and as a result, a man suffered major injuries that have had a significant impact on the rest of his life."

(LM/CD)