KAYAK makers convicted of corporate manslaughter after a Runcorn dad burnt to death in an industrial oven have today been fined £200,000.

Supervisor Alan Catterall, aged 54, died when he was locked in an oven at Pyranha Mouldings' factory in Runcorn, Cheshire, in December 2010.

His body was found at the door, still in the position in which he had desperately tried to prise his way out with a tool.

The oven did not have an escape hatch or alarm and was not in the line of sight of the operator, so no one could have known he was there.

Pyranha Mouldings Ltd was found guilty of gross negligence, manslaughter and health and safety breaches in January and was today handed a £200,000 fine and ordered to pay £90,000 costs.

The firm's technical director, Peter Mackereth, aged 60, of Iso Vivoid, Llangollen, North Wales, was fined £25,000 and given a suspended sentence for health and safety breaches.

The case was heard this morning at The Royal Courts of Justice in London.

Sentencing, Mr Justice MacDuff said he could not look the company in the eye, but he could Mackereth, who oversaw the design and commissioning of the oven.

The judge said: “You don't need me to tell you how far short of your duty you fell.

“It was repeatedly brought home to you in the trial.

“You will have to live with the consequences of your actions for the rest of your life.”

The trial heard that there had been a problem with the oven, which was used to mould two kayaks.

It had been switched off, but shortly before it was to be turned back on, supervisor Mr Catterall stepped in, possibly to clean up a spillage.

Without realising he was there, a worker set the machine running, automatically locking the doors.

The much-loved dad suffered severe burns in temperatures which could have reached 280C and died of shock.

The judge said there was no mechanism to prevent someone being locked in and no thought had been given to that risk.

He paid tribute to Mr Catterall, whose widow Pearl was in court to watch the sentencing.

The judge said: “He was, by all accounts, the most lovely of men, devoted to his family and loved by all.

'He was a committed worker and had given 100 per cent and more to his employers.

'Nothing can begin to make up for the loss of this fine man.

'There is no punishment which can be imposed that can make up what she has lost.'

The judge said a much bigger fine would have been appropriate for a larger company, but it was important that it was not put out of business.

'The company is relatively vibrant and profit-making and a valuable employer in its community, employing up to 90 people,' he continued.

'It is essential that it should not be driven into liquidation if at all possible. If my penalty had that effect, it would punish the wrong people.'

As well as his fine, Mackereth was sentenced to nine months' jail, suspended for two years.

Speaking outside court afterwards, Pearl Catterall said: “I'm pleased with the result, although it might have been a bit more.”

Detective Inspector Gary Smith, who worked on the investigation, said: "The sentence imposed today brings a four year investigation to an end.

“It should serve as a warning to other employers that they have a duty of care to protect those who work for them and, when this fails, they will held to account.

"Alan′s death was a tragedy.

“He had worked at Pyranha Mouldings for many years and sadly ended up losing his life at his place of work.

“Throughout the lengthy investigation I have kept in close contact with Alan′s family, who have suffered greatly over the years.

“This has been an extremely difficult process for them and I hope that the conclusion of this case will help to bring about a degree of closure for them.”

He said it had been a long and complicated investigation spanning many years and involved painstaking analysis of numerous witness statements, exhibits and other items.

He added: “The guilty verdict by the jury today is the first time in Cheshire that the force has successfully prosecuted a company for corporate manslaughter under the new legislation."

Martin Heywood, the investigating inspector at the Health and Safety Executive, said: "Alan Caterrall tragically lost his life because the way in which maintenance work was carried out on the moulding ovens at the factory was fundamentally unsafe.

"The doors were set to automatically close whenever the electrical supply was switched back on, which meant there was a high risk of someone being trapped inside.

“There had been no risk assessments and staff had not received suitable training on how to use the new ovens and there were no written instructions on cleaning and maintenance.

"If Pyranha Mouldings and the individual prosecuted over Alan′s death had properly considered the risks to employees when they designed, installed and operated the ovens then he would still be here today."

Following the verdict, Alan′s family released a statement. They said: "We are happy with the verdict but it does not change the fact that Alan is no longer with us and his family miss him desperately.

“He has missed his son′s wedding and the birth of his new grandson and he will not see his two daughters marry.

"Alan was a hard-working, conscientious man and he gave Pyranha Mouldings everything.

“It hurts that they have not admitted any failings in their health and safety procedures.

“We would like to personally thank Cheshire Police and the Health and Safety Executive for all of their hard work in partnership.

“We would particularly like to thank DI Gary Smith and DC Tracey Short who have been a constant support over the past four years."