Widow bitter over Mint law

Widow bitter over Mint law

Management at the Mint has been criticised

A widow whose husband was killed in an accident at the Royal Mint has backed high-level calls to end the company's immunity from prosecution.

Tina Wynne's husband John died when a six-tonne furnace fell on him at the firm's base in Llantrisant, south Wales in June 2001.

But she was told that an archaic law meant Crown properties are not covered by the UK's normal criminal liability and health and safety legislation.

Now a report compiled by a powerful group of MPs has called for an end to this immunity - a move which Ms Wynne supports.

Managers at the Mint were also criticised after £25,000 was stolen from an open safe and a scheme to make euro coins led to 220 jobs being lost.

My husband lost his life at the Mint - nothing will bring him back to me

Tina Wynne, widow

Ms Wynne said the sooner the firm's Crown immunity was taken away, the better as she felt the Mint had "got away with everything".

"It is too late for me now, but I am still so bitter about it," she said.

"If it happens again, the same thing is going to happen again - they are just going to plead Crown immunity.

"The only time I would be happy would be to see the men who were in charge there lose their jobs," she added.

'Stupid' law

An inquest into the death of Mr Wynne, who had worked at the Mint for 21 years, is due to take place on 2 May.

The Royal Mint has been losing money

A hearing of Crown Censure Proceedings by the Health and Safety Executive in September 2002, officials said there was a clear-cut case against the Royal Mint.

But Crown immunity meant it could not be pursued.

At the time, Ms Wynne described the law as "stupid".

"It is so frustrating that you cannot do anything and I just wanted somebody held responsible," she said.

"My husband lost his life at the Mint - nothing will bring him back to me."

A Royal Mint spokesperson said the accident was "deeply regretted".

'Naive' plan

On Thursday, an influential House of Commons committee called for Crown immunity to be ditched.

It also lambasted bosses after £25,000 was taken from an open safe.

The theft - which took place in 2001 - contributed to a £6.5m operating loss for the year 2001-2.

The committee also condemned a plan to produce euros as "seriously flawed" and "naive".

The Mint failed to make the coins fast enough to make a profit, and 220 people lost their jobs.

The Mint has said it is making good progress to get itself back into the black.