Leg crush crane driver 'serious'

Mr Squibb received extensive injuries to his legs

A man whose legs were crushed when a crane collapsed on to a ship at a container port remains in a serious condition in hospital.

Fire crews were called to Southampton Docks, owned by DP World, at Dock Gate 20 in Western Avenue, on Monday.

The crane, a twin boom rig with the cab suspended on rails, toppled on to the ship, the coastguard Nyke Themis said.

Crane driver Jay Squibb, 33, is at Southampton General Hospital. DP World said an investigation had begun.

Police said the matter was being treated as an industrial accident and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) was investigating.

A spokesman said: "The man has received significant injuries, including multiple fractures to his legs."

A hospital spokesperson said Mr Squibb was in a "serious but stable condition".

Loading containers

It is the second serious incident involving crane operations this year.

Earlier, Matt Tipper, the Unite union's regional industrial organiser, said Mr Squibb was one of its members.

He added that the health and safety implications for dock workers were of "paramount importance".

Mr Squibb was flown to hospital after being airlifted from the scene by a coastguard helicopter.

DP World, based in Dubai, is the majority shareholder in Southampton docks, which it owns jointly with Associated British Ports.

A DP World spokesman said on Monday that the crane collapse happened during "the normal operation of loading containers on to a vessel" and it was too early to determine the cause of the incident.

DP World said that, following a discussion with the HSE, shipside operations at the site resumed overnight with six quay gantry cranes and a mobile harbour crane available for use.

Landside operations at the terminal resumed at midday on Monday.