A company has been prosecuted after a worker fell through an unprotected skylight and sustained serious injuries.

King Builders (Gloucester) Ltd were convicted of breaching Regulation 4 (1) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005. It has been fined £30,000 with more than £18,281 in costs.

Cheltenham Magistrates' Court heard how a sub-contractor working for the company fell though an unprotected skylight at a building site at Pitt Street, Gloucester on 22 October 2015. His injuries included a fractured vertebrae, chest and head injuries.

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An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that the principal contractor had failed to ensure the safety of those working on the roof. Investigators also found there were a number of places at the site where someone could have fallen.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Simon Chilcott said: "Those in control of work have a responsibility to ensure safe methods of working are used and to maintain control of those working for them.

"If simple precautions, such as a robust cover or scaffolding, had been in place prior to the incident, the serious injuries sustained by the sub-contractor could have been prevented."

(LM/MH)