Slurry tank death victims drowned

The three men drowned in the 12 ft high slurry tank

Three men who died in a slurry tank containing chicken waste had drowned, an inquest has been told.

Graham Morris, 54, and Timothy Bartrum, 46, both of Thetford, Norfolk, and George Barnes, 28, of Brandon, Suffolk, worked at Enviro-Waste of Thetford.

Their bodies were recovered from a 12ft high slurry tank beside the A1075 at Great Hockham on Monday.

Tests showed they drowned after they were overcome by carbon monoxide which left them short of oxygen.

'Triple tragedy'

It is thought that one of the men fell into the tank first and the other two followed as they tried to help him.

A fourth man, Daniel Willimott, 28, from the Thetford area, was taken to the West Suffolk Hospital, Bury St Edmunds, as a precaution but later released.

Mr Bartrum had two teenage sons. Mr Morris had three grown-up children. Mr Barnes leave a fiancée.

Adjourning the inquests, coroner William Armstrong expressed his deepest sympathy to the families in this "terrible triple tragedy".

An investigation is being carried out by the Health and Safety Executive and Norfolk Police.