A grieving family say their loved one lost his life “for the cost of a 50 pence screw” after a fatal machinery failure at a Cumbrian farm that has now led to a prosecution.
Alban Watts, 61, died while working for Bell Mount Farming Ltd, near Penrith, in January 2023. The long-serving employee was killed when his clothing became caught in a hen-feeding system after being pulled into an unguarded rotating sprocket.
He had worked for the company for 12 years. Under PUWER regulations, employers must ensure dangerous moving machinery parts are properly guarded to prevent contact.
Following a £50,000 fine issued to the firm, Mr Watts’ brother Martin and sister Louise Robinson said the loss had devastated their family. “Losing Alban has taken a part of our trio, without him we are an incomplete unit,” they said.
“Not a day goes by where he is not missed. We are angry that his life was worth less than a 50p screw to a multi-million pound company. Such a small item could have saved his life.”
An HSE investigation found the company had failed to prevent access to dangerous moving parts. The sprocket powering the feeding system ran intermittently, and during one cycle Mr Watts’ clothing was caught in the mechanism. Inspectors discovered the guard meant to prevent access was not fixed in place and could simply be lifted off.
Further examination showed the bolt holes on the guard were stripped and did not align with those on the frame, making it impossible to secure. HSE concluded that the firm had not implemented the fixed guarding required to keep workers safe.
Mr Watts’ mother, Noreen, described her son as a skilled mechanic, joiner and carpenter, and said his death had been “cruel”. “Mere words cannot express the horror and distress of hearing such an awful death,” she said. “Above all, I want lessons to be learnt from this tragedy. Due to the lack of a machine guard, my dear son Alban has been killed and taken from me.”
Bell Mount Farming Limited pleaded guilty to breaching the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998. Alongside the £50,000 fine, the company was ordered to pay £6,038 in costs at Warrington Magistrates’ Court on 20 November 2025.
HSE Inspector Matthew Shepherd said the failings were avoidable. “What is most tragic about this case is the failure of the company was such a basic and simple one,” he said.
“What was such an easy fault to fix cost a much loved man his life.” He added that preventing access to dangerous parts is a “well-known and long-standing” requirement for employers.
The HSE said Alban Watts’ death underlines how a single missing guard can be the difference between life and death — and that it will not hesitate to act where companies fail to protect workers.
