The widow of a man who died after falling from scaffolding, was left devastated, a court has been told.

Fifty five-year-old joiner Peter Walton plunged nearly six metres while on a site at Altham in May 2006 when the platform collapsed.

He never regained consciousness, having sustained a severe head injury, and died a month later after developing respiratory complications.

Two Lancashire companies were due to be sentenced on Friday, having admitted failing to ensure the safety of employees in a Health and Safety prosecution.

The principal contractor on the site in May 2006 was Glen Mill Group Developments Ltd, of Lomeshaye Business Village, Nelson.

One of the sub contractors working there at the time was Howorth Scaffolding Services Ltd of Accrington Road, Hapton.

A three block development was being carried out, with two blocks already done.

Mr Paul Dockery, prosecuting at Preston Crown Court, said Mr Walton, from Anchorsholme, near Blackpool, was fixing wall plates to the top of a steel frame, to accommodate the fixing of roof trusses.

A principal inspector visited the site after his fall and found three significant defects.

They included a failure to guard open inner edges on a platform and scaffold standards were inadequately founded on broken concrete blocks.

Mr Dockery said: "The prosecution case is that both defendants fell well below the standards required of them.

"Strict management controls are needed to ensure accidents don’t occur. Both were experienced contractors and should have been well aware of their responsibilities to ensure the health and safety of those who would be affected."

In a victim personal statement, Mr Walton’s widow Christine said that the accident and her husband’s untimely death had resulted in her world collapsing around her.

Mr Mark Turner QC, for Glen Mill, said the company had suffered catastrophic economic losses and was now insolvent.

It had had no turnover whatsoever over the last two or three years because nothing had been coming in. The company had an unblemished character.

Mr Turner added: "It is not a question of some cowboy organisation trying to make money by cutting corners. This is an extremely unhappy combination of circumstances.

"I have no doubt everyone involved will never forget the circumstances that led up to the accident."

Mr Andrew Long, for Howorth Scaffolding Services, said they had an exemplary health and safety record and had always prided itself on its approach to the matter. They had a virtually unrivalled reputation in the trade.

He also told the court: "This is no cowboy company, but takes safety seriously and has done long before this dreadful accident.

"Unforeseeable, one-off human error caused the accident. An employee had not carried out a job safely that he had done a thousand times before."

Mr Long said the company had no cash in the bank. Its only assets were its equipment and the company was holding on ‘by its fingertips.’

Judge Andrew Woolman adjourned sentencing, telling the court he would give his judgement in writing.

After the hearing, a statement on behalf of Howorth Scaffolding Services Limited, said it sincerely regretted Mr Walton’s death.

It read: "At the time of this tragic accident, Howorth Scaffolding Services Limited had both a responsible attitude to health and safety and a blemish-free health and safety record.

"Reflecting that responsible attitude to health and safety, Howorth Scaffolding Services Limited have actively taken all necessary steps to ensure that a similar incident cannot happen again.

"We would like to take this opportunity of extending our profound sympathy and condolence to Peter Walton’s family."