A road contractor was ordered to pay £97,000 after a worker died from serious burns while cleaning a tanker.

Colas Ltd, based in Wallage Lane, Rowfant, Crawley, admitted failing to ensure the safety of employees John Gilroy and Phillip Kelly while they were cleaning the bitumen tanker at the company's Grantham depot.

Irishman Mr Gilroy, 57, died after a mixture of kerosene, gas oil and diesel he was using to clean the bitumen spraying bar ignited.

The company was fined £75,000 and ordered to pay £22,000 costs by Lincoln Crown Court.

Mr Gilroy, living in Leeds at the time of the incident on February 20, 2003, was cleaning bitumen deposits from the spray bar on the back of the tanker over a purpose-built sump reservoir at the Dysart Road maintenance depot in Grantham.

The solvent cleaning mixture was being sprayed when it suddenly burst into flames.

Mr Gilroy received 60 per cent burns and was taken to hospital but died two weeks later.

Mr Kelly, 42, from Grantham, was working with Mr Kilroy, and received superficial burns to his head.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation concluded the fire was caused by the ignition of a flammable mist of kerosene and gas oil, probably caused by static electricity.

HSE inspector Jon Anslow said: "This was a tragic and avoidable incident. The company failed to control even simple sources of ignition, such as smoking or hot working.

"Importantly, if a liquid was used rather than a spray, no flammable mist would have been created and this could have prevented the incident."

A spokesman for Colas said: "The company has co-operated fully with the HSE throughout the investigation and taken steps to ensure there can be no repeat of the circumstances in the future."