Man killed by electric power line

Simon Lines died several days after the incident

A young man was killed while warning others about a live power cable which had fallen across a busy road, an inquest has heard.

Simon Lines, 20, from Prees, Shropshire, suffered head injuries when he was hit by the cable after it had been flicked into the air by a lorry.

He was standing on the A49 Whitchurch Road warning motorists when he was struck by the low-voltage line.

The accident in January has led to a nationwide alert among power companies.

Fitting discontinued

John Heathman, from Scottish Power, told the Shrewsbury inquest that he was on the committee of inquiry into the accident which had concluded the overhead cable had come loose from a wooden board.

He said this type of fitting had since been discontinued.

The investigation, carried out by Scottish Power in Merseyside, north Wales and Shropshire, showed similar cables were being used at 110 locations across the region.

Five were dealt with as a matter of urgency and a further 42 were being tackled with a target completion date of January 2008.

Engineers giving evidence said that the wooden fittings at Prees had been inspected through binoculars.

Mr Lines, who worked with his father Vincent at Prees Auto Services, died some days after the accident despite undergoing three operations.

The hearing continues at Shrewsbury Magistrates' Court.