Workman dies after plunging from scaffolding

6:30pm Monday 4th June 2007

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A STEEPLEJACK died after plunging 300ft from a disused chimney.

Two of John Alty's horrified colleagues looked on helplessly as he fell from the top of the huge stack at Swan Lane Mills in Great Lever.

The 40-year-old, from Blackburn, was pronounced dead at the scene and a joint investigation by police and the Health and Safety Executive was launched.

Detectives have described the fall as a tragic accident.

Det Insp Alex Millett of Bolton CID said: "We are currently working with the HSE to determine the exact chain of events which led to this man's death. There are no suspicious circumstances."

Two colleagues were working on a maintenance project with Mr Alty at the time of his fall.

One man was helping the steeplejack to dismantle scaffolding around the top of the structure at 1.20pm yesterday when the accident happened and another was working at ground level.

Both were said to have suffered shock. "Saftey equipment and harnesses were being used by the men and the investigation will focus on exactly how it was this man fell," added Det Insp Millett.

It is expected that an inquest will be opened in to Mr Alty's death later this week.

The mills were once the largest cotton spinning complex in the world and now house a number of smaller businesses and self storage units.

Swan Lane Mill Number 3 is a Grade II listed building and regarded as one of the country's most elaborate examples of 19th century industrial architecture.

A spokesman for the Health and Safety Executive said: "A joint investigation between the HSE and the police is under way and at this stage there is very little else we can say about the circumstances of the death."

A spokesman for the North West Ambulance Service said: "Paramedics were called to a scene where a man appeared to have fallen from 300ft. "Two officers attended the scene and found the man to be dead. He suffered severe and traumatic multiple injuries."