Firm sued over US wrestler's death

The Blue Blazer died after he fell 78 feet

A UK engineering firm is being sued for £11m by America's World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) over the death of a wrestler.

Owen Hart - known as the Blue Blazer - died falling 78 feet when his safety harness came undone as he was being lowered into a wrestling ring in Kansas City, Missouri, in May 1999.

The WWE announced it intends to seek a settlement from Hampshire-based Lewmar, which created a quick-release hook used in the harness that failed.

The WWE, along with 13 other defendants, was originally sued for a figure believed to be in the tens of millions by the family of the 34-year-old wrestler.

The family dropped the case because they accepted we had no responsibility for the failure of the harness

Arthur MacMillan, Lewmar

Lewmar was one of the original defendants but was released from the lawsuit by the family's lawyers after it was found not to be culpable.

But now WWE has been given the go-ahead by a Kansas City circuit court judge to challenge the validity of Lewmar's case.

On Friday, the judge ruled that the family's settlement with Lewmar showed "overwhelming evidence" of having been reached fraudulently.

He said he found evidence that the family and its lawyers engaged in fraud and collusion by releasing Lewmar from the family's lawsuit.

Arthur MacMillan, chief executive of Havant-based Lewmar, said: "The family dropped the case because they accepted we had no responsibility for the failure of the harness.

"The WWE is just going after anyone with insurance. The matter is wholly in the hands of our insurers, it won't affect our company at all."

Gary Robb, a partner in the Hart family's law firm, denied any wrongdoing.

The case has been set for trial in September.