Update: Pie factory found guilty of health and safety breaches

The verdict took under ten minutes and the jury found the company guilty on all three counts.

David Cole from Salterhebble, Halifax, was killed in an explosion at Andrew Jones (Pies) Ltd in Leeds Old Road, Huddersfield, on April 10, 2009.

The 37-year-old had worked for the firm for 12 years including four years at Andrew Jones Butchers in Bethel Street, Brighouse.

At Leeds Crown Court the company was charged with three counts between April 27, 2007 and April 10, 2009, including failing to make suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks of the use of natural gas in the oven, failing to ensure adequate health and safety information and written instructions for using the oven were available to their employees, and failing to ensure employees were adequately trained in using the oven.

It was revealed in court that the assets of Andrew Jones (Pies) Ltd have been sold to a new company called AJ Pies and Pastries Ltd, which have retained the same staff.

Mr Jones has been retained in a sales and production development role, Leeds Crown Court was told by prosecutor John Harrison.

Mr Harrison applied for costs and added that the cost of the Health and Safety Executive investigation had reached £125,000.