A BUSINESSMAN has been fined £10,000 after one of his employees died in an explosion at a petrol station.

Douglas Feakins, 40, admitted two charges of failing to comply with health and safety regulations.

His workmen wrongly used a blowtorch to remove part of the petrol station's canopy, sparking an explosion which killed 52-year-old Norman Longbottom at Groombridge Motor Centre in Groombridge, near Crowborough.

Feakins, owner of Norchem Environmental Services, was also ordered to pay £5,000 costs by Lewes magistrates.

The Worcester-based company was contracted to dismantle the petrol facilities at the garage, owned by Total Oil. The job involved emptying the tanks of petrol and accumulated sludge.

Paul Appleton, prosecuting for the Health and Safety Executive, said the tank was cleaned out the day before by Mr Longbottom himself but no one had checked whether it was still empty on the day of the explosion. It was possible petrol had seeped back into the tank from pipes which had not been properly sealed.

Describing the explosion, Mr Appleton said: "A jet of flame moved through the tank at a very high speed. Unfortunately Mr Longbottom was standing right on top of it. Eyewitnesses said he was thrown 20ft to 30ft."

Mr Longbottom, of Kidderminster, died instantly.

Mr Appleton added: "There was a clear failure to recognise the hazards presented by using oxyacetylene on a petrol forecourt."

Neil Coulson, defending, said Feakins, of Worcester, had been running his business for 15 years. He added: "This was a personal tragedy for him. He knew Norman extremely well and had worked with him for many, many years. Nothing can bring him back."

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.