A MOTHER campaigning for safer working conditions after her son died in a chimney explosion is furious after a march in his memory was cancelled – because of health and safety regulations.

About 70 people turned out for the Workers Memorial Day march, due to be held through Stanley Crook, near Crook, County Durham, on Saturday, only to be told that the correct procedures had not been followed and it was cancelled.

The march is an annual event aimed at remembering those who have died in the workplace and one of its main organisers is Linda Whelan, who started the Families Against Corporate Killers (Fack) group following the death of her son, Craig, in 2002.

Ms Whelan said: “We have had this march every year and there has never been a problem. Then on Friday, the day before it was supposed to take place, we were told by Durham Police that we did not have the correct permissions for road closures to go ahead.

“We did not want to protest or cause a disruption, we just wanted to make people aware of the issue of deaths in the workplace and pay our respects.”

Ms Whelan said the march, which was to be led by the Aycliffe and Brancepeth Brass Band and include banners from former County Durham mines, would only have lasted 15 minutes and a complete road closure would not have been necessary.

She said: “In the past we have kept to one side of the road so traffic can still get past, and we found that actually many motorists joined the procession to express their support.”

A memorial service at Stanley Crook Church went ahead and Ms Whelan said it was a great success.

A Durham Police spokeswoman said the police found out about the march the day before and, owing to the short notice, could not support it.

She said: “When planning an event people should contact the relevant council’s safety advisory group in the first instance, details of which can be found on their websites.

“Where a road closure is involved, six month’s notice is required, along with a risk assessment and public liability insurance.”