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Worker critical after scaffold plunge

11/ 5/2006

POLICE and safety officials have launched an investigation after an industrial accident in Altham left a worker fighting for his life.

Peter Walton, 45, from Blackburn, was airlifted to the Royal Preston Hospital after falling 20ft at Altham Business Park, in Skye Lane, at 9.30am on Wednesday, when part of a two-storey section of scaffolding collapsed.

Police secured the area until it could be made safe for Health and Safety Executive inspectors to carry out a full examination yesterday [Thurs] morning.

Mr Walton was believed to have been working on the site which is part of Mercury Rise, a development of self-contained office buildings.

A spokesman for the Health and Safety Executive said: "Details of what happened are very patchy at this stage. We are investigating but the scaffolding is very unsafe at the moment so we can't get up there to carry out a detailed investigation until that has been made safe."

The joinery and building contractors carrying out the work, New Look Construction, refused to comment.

Police said Mr Walton's condition was critical as the Observer went to press yesterday morning.