Tragedy on Cumbrian Farm
A farm worker lost his life in a horrific accident involving a hen-feeding machine, with an investigation revealing the tragedy could have been prevented by a screw costing just 50 pence. Alban Watts, 61, from the village of Blencow, was strangled to death when his clothing became entangled in an unguarded drive mechanism.
A Preventable Failure
The fatal incident occurred in January 2023 while Mr Watts was working alone for egg producer Bell Mount Farming Limited in Penrith, Cumbria. A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) probe found the company had failed to prevent access to dangerous parts of the machinery. The rotating sprocket of the drive mechanism, which powered the feeding system, was not properly guarded.
The system operated for three-minute periods at set times, and it was during one of these cycles that Mr Watts's clothes were caught. The investigation discovered that the guard designed to prevent such access was not fixed in place and could simply be lifted off. Crucially, the bolt holes in the guard were stripped and did not align with the frame, making it impossible to secure the guard properly.
A Family's Anguish and a Company's Fine
Speaking after the case, Mr Watts's brother Martin and sister Louise Robinson expressed their profound grief and anger. "Losing Alban has taken a part of our trio," they said. "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."
His mother, Noreen, described her son as an accomplished mechanic, joiner, and carpenter, calling his death "cruel." She added: "I have now had to go through every parent’s nightmare of surviving their own child, in tragic circumstances. Above all, I want lessons to be learnt from this tragedy."
At Warrington Magistrates’ Court on 20 November 2025, Bell Mount Farming Limited pleaded guilty to breaching health and safety regulations. The company was fined £50,000 and ordered to pay £6,038 in costs.
HSE Inspector Matthew Shepherd stated: "What is most tragic about this case is the failure of the company was such a basic and simple one. Preventing access to dangerous parts of machinery is a well-known and long-standing part of any health and safety management system." He emphasised the devastating consequences of getting it wrong and vowed to take action against companies that fail to keep people safe.
