Open verdict in plane centre case

Mr Livall died in September 2004, just six weeks after the centre opened

A jury has returned an open verdict into the death of a man at the Concorde Visitor Centre in Bristol who fell 5m from a gantry.

The jury stated that the organisers failed to carry out a thorough risk assessment of the site and showed an "unsatisfactory duty of care".

Horace Livall, 71, from Bristol, died after falling through an 0.8m gap between steps and the aircraft door.

The inquest also highlighted a "lack of verbal and written communication".

Mr Livall plunged to the ground from the gantry during a Concorde tour at Filton in September 2004.

The inquest jury at Kings Weston House near Bristol heard the walkway platform could not be fixed to the aircraft, leaving a gap between the gantry and the fuselage.

Instead of a metal bridge, a plywood platform was placed between the gantry and the plane, with webbing straps on one side.

In a statement after the inquest, solicitors representing Airbus, who run the Concorde Centre said: "The incident was a terrible tragedy and our client's deepest sympathy has been and remains with his family.

"Although our client is not responsible for the day-to-day running of the Concorde display, following the incident they immediately launched their own internal investigation and carried out a rigorous review of procedures.

"Our client will clearly wish to reflect very carefully upon the evidence heard and the jury's conclusions."