THE company in charge of a construction site where a worker was crushed to death by the portable building he was delivering has been fined £50,000.

Marc Channon, 31, had taken the cabin to Seymour Civil Engineering's site in Ryal, Northumberland, on behalf of his firm GH Dowse on July 23, 2002.

But Newcastle Crown Court heard how while unloading the 24ft unit, its support slipped off the hook used to lift it and crushed Mr Channon against his delivery vehicle.

The married father-of-two, of Prince Edward Road, South Shields, suffered fatal injuries.

His widow, Nora Channon, was in court yesterday when Judge John Milford fined Seymour Civil Engineering £50,000 and ordered it to pay £10,750 prosecution costs for failing to ensure the lifting operation was carried out safely.

Mrs Channon has launched a civil case for damages following the accident and did not wish to comment after the hearing.

After Mr Shannon's death, the Health and Safety Executive brought charges against GH Dowse and Seymour Civil Engineering for breaching safety laws.

On Tuesday, Seymour company director Chris Short pleaded guilty to one charge of breaching lifting operations regulations and two further charges against the firm were dropped. The case was dropped against GH Dowse.

Defence barrister John Evans told the court how Seymour Civil Engineering spends more than £200,000 a year on health and safety.