A TECHNICAL engineer accidently switched on drilling equipment as he stood inside a machine, an inquest heard yesterday.

The inquiry into the death of James Sapsford, 21, heard how he had been changing part of a vertical boring machine at Triple T Engineering, in Shildon, County Durham, when the accident happened.

Apprentice Shaun Lundy had been working with Mr Sapsford, of Bluebell Close, Newton Aycliffe, in February last year

Mr Lundy told the inquest, at Bishop Auckland Magistrates' Court yesterday that both of them had been inside the machine to change a boring bar when the table they were standing on started to revolve and Mr Sapsford was thrown off backwards.

"The machine started revolving and James sort of fell into it," said Mr Lundy. "He wasn't dragged or pulled, he just sort of fell into it."

Mr Lundy ran to switch off the machine, while other technicians in the workshop went to get help.

James' father, Ian, asked supervisor Neil Somers why the tool had not been lifted clear of the machinery before it was changed, but Mr Somers said it was too big to do so.

Health and Safety Executive specialist inspector Paul Grady carried out an inspection of the machinery and concluded that it had begun to rotate after Mr Sapsford inadvertently caught the clutch lever as he stood in the machine.

He had been standing with his knee near the lever panel moments before the accident.

The jury returned a verdict of accidental death.