A national grocery supplier has been fined £1 million after a worker was fatally crushed by a reversing lorry during a delivery in Manchester.
Lee Warburton, 53, from Stockport, was acting as a banksman when he became trapped between a heavy goods vehicle and a wall on 19 February 2019. He had been directing a colleague during a delivery to a city centre store on behalf of Bestway Northern Limited, a wholesaler supplying independent supermarkets across the UK.
Mr Warburton, a father of three, died from his injuries at the scene.
His partner, Hayley Tomlinson, described the day he died as the worst of her life. “To be taken in such a cruel manner made it even harder. Knowing the pain and fear Lee must have gone through was unbearable. But nothing compares to the moment I had to tell our children their daddy was never coming home.”
Their daughters, then aged nine and 10, have suffered serious mental health challenges including depression, bullying and social isolation. “It broke my children’s spirits; they lost the sparkle in their eyes,” Ms Tomlinson said. “Lee was their hero.”
“My children will miss out on all the milestones Lee should have been here for – walking them down the aisle, meeting their first child. They miss the cuddles, the love he showed them, the days out. This has changed our lives forever.”
Firm Failed To Train for Safe Deliveries
A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found that Bestway Northern Limited had failed to implement a safe system of work for vehicle movements. The company also failed to properly assess the risks involved in the task or to provide sufficient training for employees acting as banksmen.
The company, based on Abbey Road in Park Royal, London, pleaded guilty to breaching regulation 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. It was fined £1 million and ordered to pay £11,950.07 in prosecution costs at Manchester Magistrates’ Court on 18 July 2025.
‘Most Reversing Deaths Preventable’
Following the hearing, HSE inspector Jane Carroll said the company’s failure exposed workers to unacceptable risks.
“The company had failed to implement a safe system of work for its delivery and unloading activities, thereby exposing employees and others to the risk of being struck or caught by workplace vehicles,” she said.
“Nearly a quarter of all deaths involving workplace transport occur during reversing, most of which can be avoided by taking simple precautions.
“All work settings involving vehicles need to consider the risks arising from their use and implement adequate measures to ensure the safety of those involved in these activities.”
The prosecution was supported by HSE enforcement lawyer Chloe Ward and paralegal officer Rebecca Whithell. HSE provides free guidance to employers at hse.gov.uk, including advice on workplace transport and reversing operations.