A NORTH-EAST company has been fined £25,000 after a worker was crushed to death beneath more than a ton of toughened glass.

Newnorth Limited, of Scarborough Street, Hartlepool, admitted breaching safety regulations after glazier Stephen Conlon, 30, of London, was trapped under five large panels and suffered massive internal injuries during the fitting of a canopy at the new Spitalfields Market, in London.

The father-of-two died in hospital nearly two months later after contracting a bacterial infection in hospital.

Newnorth was contracted to supply labour for the job of glazing and cladding the steel frames.

Judge Anthony Morris, sitting at the Old Bailey, ruled the main contractor Permasteelisa, which worked on Wembley Stadium, was responsible for the primary cause of the accident and fined it £100,000.

The court heard how risk assessments carried out, which were approved in principle by Robert McAlpine, did not include the unloading of glass and was not addressed by either company.

The court heard that workers had to remove a cloth strap holding the sheets back every time an individual pane was removed from the crate. Unknown to the glass fitters, an employee at the Permasteelisa depot had placed a block under the crate.

James Ageros, prosecuting, said the likelihood of death or serious injury was "very high" at the time of the fatal incident on January 28, 2005.

He said: "A couple of the Newnorth employees were unhappy with the method for unloading.

"It was necessary for people to stand right in front of the crate while it was being unpacked."

The court heard the glass weighed more than 1,200kg.

Oliver Campbell, for Newnorth, said they were not responsible for the primary cause of the accident, but failed to prevent the risk being taken.

He added: "All the employees were well trained and had safety awareness training."

During sentencing, Judge Morris, said: "Three possible causes have been advanced for the accident. First, was the presence of wooden blocks which made the crate unstable and more liable to fall.

"The first defendant Permasteelisa bears sole responsibility for the presence of the blocks.

"Newnorth's failings were not the primary cause of this accident."

The judge said the other two causes were the placing of the crate on a concrete plinth and the failure to strap each sheet of toughened glass separately.

Newnorth, which has a turnover of £2m and made a profit last year of only £385, was ordered to pay £7,871 in costs.

Permasteelisa was ordered to pay £31,487 towards prosecution costs within 28 days.

Robert McAlpine was not charged.