Fines over teenage builder death

Sheriff Montgomery said Mr Ritson's death was "wholly avoidable"

One person and two companies have been fined a total of £8,400 for health and safety breaches after the death of a teenage builder in Ayrshire.

Gareth Ritson, 18, died after a pallet of bricks fell on him at an industrial site in Troon on 12 September, 2007.

Ayr Sheriff Court heard he was wrongly told to work in an area where the bricks were suspended overhead.

Sheriff John Montgomery said it was clear Mr Ritson's death was "wholly avoidable".

He fined the teenager's employer, Ayrshire Building Construction, £4,800, for instructing Mr Ritson to stack a pile of loose bricks in an area where lifting operations were taking place.

Garry James Morgan, who was employed at the time of the accident by Keyline Builders Merchants, was fined £1,200.

This was for instructing Mr Ritson to insert timber batons into a pallet while a load of bricks was suspended in a crane above him.

And Keyline Builders Merchants was ordered to pay £2,400 over its failure to provide Mr Morgan with traffic cones to block off the area below the crane.