Batman stunt death was accident

Conway Wickliffe was a father of two children, aged four and 12

The death of a stunt technician on the set of the latest Batman film was an accident, a jury has decided.

Conway Wickliffe was leaning out of a car while operating a camera when the vehicle failed to negotiate a bend and hit a tree, an inquest heard.

The 41-year-old died last year at the site in Surrey during filming of The Dark Knight.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) may now bring a prosecution over the incident.

The father-of-two suffered severe head injuries in the crash at the test track in Longcross, near Chertsey in September 2007.

These guys are under pressure because the director will say he wants something and they have to respond as quickly as possible Dee Chase

The two-day inquest in Woking heard the accident happened during a test run for a scene in which the Batmobile is blown up.

Following the hearing, Mr Wickliffe's partner, Dee Chase, called on the big movie companies to take health and safety seriously when filming stunts.

She said a health and safety person should be assigned to every stunt shoot to prevent similar tragedies occurring again.

"Warner Brothers are a huge multi-million dollar company - why are they cutting corners like this?" she said.

"These guys are under pressure because the director will say he wants something and they have to respond as quickly as possible.

"It is the culture of the industry and it needs to change.

'Inquiries continuing'

"I just want to see the big companies take health and safety seriously in the movie industry."

Miles Francis, who represented the HSE at the hearing, said afterwards: "Our inquiries are continuing and a decision will be made in due course whether there will be a prosecution."

Mr Wickliffe's death was the first of a number of disasters to hit the Dark Knight movie.

Heath Ledger, 28, who played film villain The Joker, died of an accidental drugs overdose in January.

And while in London to promote the film, Christian Bale, who starred as Batman, was accused of assaulting his mother and sister, but no charges were brought.

The film's closing credits carry a dedication "in memory of our friends Heath Ledger and Conway Wickliffe".