THE council and one of its private contractors has been ordered to pay out a total of £54,000 after a workman died.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigated Bromley Council and Vinci Park Services the death of street cleaner Fred Allison in 2001.

The two organisations admitted breaching health and safety legislation in a car park off Chislehurst High Street and appeared before magistrates last Wednesday.

A prosecution was launched after the 50-year-old Onyx worker was impaled on the end of an open barrier which went through the windscreen of the road sweeper he was driving in April three years ago.

The accident happened less than two weeks after the father-of-two, of Riddons Road, Grove Park, had returned from a family holiday in Spain celebrating his only grandson's first birthday.

The HSE showed the defendants failed to properly inspect and maintain a 6ft 6in-high height restriction barrier, owned by the council and contracted to Vinci to operate, which became difficult to secure.

Speaking after the case at Horseferry Road Magistrates' Court last week, Margaret Pretty, HSE principal inspector, said: "This was not picked up despite routine inspection."

Vinci pleaded guilty to an offence under the Health and Safety at Work Act and was fined £10,000 with £18,000 costs.

The council admitted the same charge, relating to failing to prevent people not in their employment being exposed to risks, and was fined £8,000 with £18,000 costs.

A council spokesman said: "This was a tragic accident and new procedures we have introduced should ensure an accident like this does not happen again."