Morrison fined £4,500 over trench death

Morrison Construction has been fined £4,500 after an employee died in a trench collapse three years ago.

The Edinburgh-based company admitted breaching health and safety legislation after Douglas Tindal, 52, lost his life in October 2000 while working on a project at Friarton Prison, Perth.

Planning supervisors BD&G Projects, Glasgow, and TPS Consult of Wolverhampton were cleared of any blame.

Sheriff Michael Fletcher said: "The maximum penalty is £5000 and it is easily seen it is not designed to compensate or place any value on Douglas Tindal's life.

"In some ways it happened in an unexpected way but the legislation is designed to protect employees as much as humanly possible."