Safe crush death was accidental

The safe was being moved from Lloyds strong room

An inquest has ruled that the death of a man who was crushed to death by a large safe was an accident.

Alan Sewell, 55, of Stratford, London, died after the 1.75-tonne safe pinned him against a wall in a Plymouth bank.

Mr Sewell's firm, T O'Connor Security Limited, based in West Thurrock, Essex, was contracted to remove the safe last August, Plymouth Coroner's Court heard.

It was being moved up a flight of stairs when the wooden platform supporting it gave way.

The original plan had been to make a hole in the bank's floor and winch it out.

"Competent worker"

Giving evidence at the inquest, Mr Sewell's co-worker Peter Cox said the carpenters contracted to create the hole were "not happy to carry out the work" because of electric cables which were in the way.

Mr Cox said he and Mr Sewell then made the decision to move the safe from the strong room basement at Lloyds up a flight of stairs.

They were nearly at the top when the wooden platform gave way and Mr Sewell was pinned under the safe.

Mr Cox told the inquest Alan Sewell had about 28 years experience as a safe installation engineer, adding that he was "a competent worker who did not take any short cuts",

Carpenter Wayne Murphy who was employed by Islwyn Pugh Ltd of Merthyr Tydfil, Wales, denied that he had refused to make the hole in the ceiling for the safe.