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A Liverpool dad died a "horrific" death after being trapped in an industrial oven while at work, a court was told.

Alan Catterall, 54, was killed in an accident at the company where he worked, Pyranha Mouldings Ltd, in Runcorn in 2010, despite desperate attempts to save himself.

Pyranha manufactures plastic kayaks in ovens which reach temperatures of 280 degrees Celsius.

The company is now on trial charged with corporate manslaughter with the directors and a self employed engineer facing charges related to health and safety breaches.

Andrew Thomas, QC, prosecuting, told jurors at Liverpool Crown Court: "The circumstances of Mr Catterall's death are quite horrific.

"On the morning of the accident a fault had developed in one of the ovens. It was out of service for about an hour whilst maintenance work was carried out.

"The initial fault was fixed and one of the operators turned the machine back on. Tragically, what the operator did not realise was that Mr Catterall was still working inside the oven.

"The design of the oven was such that the moment it was switched on its power-operated doors shut and automatically locked with metal bolts on the outside.

"Mr Catterall was trapped within the oven. There was no means of escape and no alarm. The oven is lined with insulation material, and on the noisy factory floor, there was no chance of anyone hearing his cries for help.

"After a preparation cycle lasting several minutes, the burners were turned on and the oven was raised to operating temperature. The evidence indicates that Mr Catterall made efforts to escape using a metal crow bar, but it was to no avail.

"He suffered severe burns and died as a result of shock. The first anyone knew about the problem was when smoke started seeping out of the oven."

The court heard that Mr Catterall grew up in Liverpool and worked at a tyre factory in Speke before joining the Ford factory in Halewood where he worked for many years.

He joined Pyranha in 1997 and was promoted to team leader at the company, which had between 90 and 100 employees, where his wife of 34 years and daughter also worked.

The company managing director Graham Mackereth, 64, from Preston Brook, Runcorn, his brother and technical director Peter Mackereth, 59, from Llangollen, Wales, and self-employed electrical engineer Paul Keddie, from Wales, who designed the ovens, all deny health and safety

breaches.

(Proceeding)