An electrician has been prosecuted after an apprentice worker fell through a ceiling during work to install wiring.

Soheil Alipour of Selly Oak, Birmingham, pleaded guilty to breaching Work at Height Regulations 9(2) 2005. He was given 120 hours unpaid Community work and ordered to pay over £1,152 in costs.

Birmingham Magistrates' Court heard that the apprentice electrician, Soheil Afrapour, was working to install wiring above a false ceiling for Mr Alipour.

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However, during the work he fell three and a half metres through a plasterboard ceiling. He spent 23 days in hospital after suffering head injuries.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found there was no proper planning for work at height and Mr Alipour did not fulfil his duty of care.

HSE Inspector Gareth Langston said: "It's important that employers put the safety of their workers, especially young inexperienced apprentices, at the forefront of their plans and consider precautions when working at height. This incident could have been prevented if there was proper planning in place using boards above or scaffolding below."

(LM/MH)