Aston Villa Football Club has been fined after a worker was injured by a fall through a roof during the redevelopment of its training ground.

One of the contractors from Mechanical Cleansing Services Ltd was draining and cleaning fuel tanks on a roof during the demolition of an old building on the site when he fell three metres through a fragile rooflight. The incident left him with broken bones in both his heels and he was off work for more than six months.

Carol Southerdan HSE Inspector said: “Work at height can be very dangerous if not properly planned and although the victim’s injuries were severe, they could have been much worse.“If the internal ladder had been used, then this incident would not have happened. A simple conversation with the club was all it would have taken to arrange for the blocked ladder to be cleared. When working at height all workers must have adequate instruction, training and equipment. It is vital that risks are adequately assessed and managed before employees undertake tasks in hazardous locations. There was clear failure to warn the victim or his colleague of the dangerous condition of the roof or to provide safe access to the tank.”