BBC News | A hospital trust and a staff member have been found guilty of health and safety failings over the death of a young woman in a mental health unit.

Alice Figueiredo, 22, was being treated at Goodmayes Hospital, east London, when she took her own life in July 2015, having previously made several attempts.

Following a seven-month trial at the Old Bailey, a jury found that neither North East London Foundation NHS Trust (NELFT) nor ward manager Benjamin Aninakwa did enough to prevent her death.

The trust was cleared of corporate manslaughter; Aninakwa was cleared of gross negligence manslaughter.

The jury deliberated for 24 days—a record for British justice—before convicting both under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act.

Speaking to Alice’s family, Judge Richard Marks KC praised her “immense love” and said he hoped the verdict offered some consolation.

Alice had been on close observation but was able to self-harm repeatedly; warnings about bin bags on the ward were not fully heeded.

Prosecutors criticised poor recording of incidents and Aninakwa’s leadership. He had been on a three-year performance plan until December 2014, and agency-staff turnover was high.

Alice’s mother described the “intense pain” of her loss but remembered her daughter’s quick wit and humour. Her family pressed both police and CPS for action over nearly a decade.

NELFT is only the second NHS trust to face corporate manslaughter. Dr Victoria Roper of Northumbria University says such charges are reserved for the very worst management failings.

Mental-health campaigners regard this case as a reminder that inpatient care still fails too many vulnerable people.

Hackney Council | The owner of a popular Hackney restaurant has been fined nearly £20,000 after fly-tipping waste on nine occasions.

Facing Heaven, a vegan Chinese eatery off Mare Street, ignored a warning after its first offence in January 2023 and repeatedly dumped waste illegally, passing disposal costs onto the council.

The case at Thames Magistrates’ Court found the operator guilty; fines totalled £16,500 plus £900 costs and a £2,000 victim surcharge.

The judge noted the defendant had continued fly-tipping until October 2024 despite notices from Hackney Council.

SIA | The Security Industry Authority consultation on proposed licensing-criteria changes received over 3,300 responses.

The proposals aim to strengthen eligibility tests, update the list of relevant offences and increase transparency of the “fit and proper” test.

SIA says it will finalise recommendations and seek ministerial approval in autumn 2025. If approved, new rules will go live and “Get Licensed” will be updated.

HSE| A Northamptonshire-based flour company has been fined £300,000 after a maintenance worker severed one of his fingers in machinery.

The incident happened at ADM Milling Limited at its site on Earlstrees Industrial Estate in Corby on 28 June 2023.

David Wood, who was 59 at the time, had been carrying out maintenance work on a packer closing station. However, the 800-kilogram machine became unbalanced and tipped backwards, trapping his left hand. This resulted in the little finger on the hand being severed.

Investigating, the HSE found the company had failed to safely manage the risks of people performing maintenance at its factory.

ADM Milling Limited were required to fully assess the task that the injured person was assigned, to ensure that his health and safety was not put at risk.

ADM Milling Limited, of Brunel Road, Earlstrees Industrial Estate, Corby, Northamptonshire, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined £300,000 and ordered to pay £7,517 in costs.

HSE inspector Abbey Hodson said: “This incident was wholly avoidable. The case should highlight to industry that all maintenance tasks, whether they are planned or unplanned, should be carefully assessed and reviewed to ensure that anyone under their control is protected from harm.

“Had this task been competently risk assessed, other control measures that prevented this incident would have been identified.”

The HSE prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Samantha Wells and paralegal officer Helen Hugo.

Security Industry Authority | A man found with two forged SIA licences pleaded guilty to fraud and was ordered to pay £2,600.

Charles Ibikunle admitted two counts of Fraud Act 2006 after police found forged licences during a vehicle stop. He was fined £1,000 per offence plus £400 victim surcharge and £200 costs.

HSE | Two Shrewsbury-based companies have been fined after a worker fell through a roof during extension work.

On 9 December 2022, a roofer fell through an un-covered window opening, fracturing his spine and ribs. HSE found Roofrite (Shropshire) Limited and Harding and Houlston Building Contractors failed to plan and monitor work at height safely.

Roofrite pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 6(3) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005 and was fined £8,000 plus £2,990 costs. Harding and Houlston pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 13(1) of CDM 2015 and was fined £500 plus £2,990 costs.

HSE inspector Sara Andrews emphasised the need for thorough risk assessments and internal crash decks to prevent falls.

Ofwat | Ofwat has imposed penalties totalling £122.7 million on Thames Water, payable by the company and its investors.

Ofwat’s investigation into sewage-treatment operations led to a £104.5 million penalty and enforcement order in August 2024. A separate inquiry on dividend payments yielded an £18.2 million fine—the first use of such powers.

HSE | A manufacturing company has been fined £20,000 after a worker lost part of his finger in machinery at its site in St Helens.

The man was injured at Film and Foil Solutions Ltd, which makes flexible film used in the food industry, on 4 December 2023. He was using a machine that converts and folds plastic film at the company’s site on Haydock Industrial Estate. He tried to stop the material becoming tangled by using his hand to stop the poorly guarded rotating shaft. However, in doing so, his right index finger made contact with a rotating part of the machine and became entangled.

He was taken to hospital and due to the seriousness of the injuries, surgery was carried out the following day to amputate part of the finger on his dominant right hand.

An investigation by the HSE found that Film and Foil Solutions Ltd failed to protect its employees, including ensuring the machinery being used to produce it had suitable guarding. The company had failed to carry out a suitable and sufficient risk assessment, resulting in a failure to provide suitable guarding arrangements on the machine and had failed to put in place an adequate safe system of work. It also revealed inconsistencies and inadequacies in the provision of information, instruction and training for those required to use the machine.

In a statement provided to HSE, the employee, who doesn’t wish to be named, described the impact of the injuries.

He said: “I was unable to carry out normal daily tasks such as tying my shoelaces. My right hand is my dominant hand and I find it extremely difficult to write with that hand now. I am now self-conscious when I go outside.

“My family have also been affected by the injury as I am unable to do normal things I used to be able to do before. As a result of the injury I feel my job prospects have been affected, both now and in the future.”

Film and Foil Solutions Ltd, of North Florida Road, Haydock Industrial Estate, Haydock, St. Helens, Merseyside, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 11(1) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998. The company was fined £20,000 and ordered to pay £2,932 in costs.

HSE inspector Sam Eves said “This incident could so easily have been avoided had the company taken simple steps to guard dangerous parts of machinery and implement safe working practices.

“Companies and individuals should be aware that HSE will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action against those that fall below the required standards.”

This HSE prosecution was brought by HSE Enforcement Lawyer Matthew Reynolds and supported by Paralegal Officer Imogen Isaac.

Security Industry Authority | A Birmingham man has been ordered to pay fines and costs totalling £612 after pleading guilty to knowingly making false statements to the Security Industry Authority (SIA).

Ahroon Alam submitted a fabricated character reference from a Birmingham food bank as part of his appeal against the SIA’s decision to refuse his door-supervisor licence application due to his past criminality.

The SIA investigated and found multiple senior staff at the food bank confirmed they did not know Mr Alam and had not provided him with a reference.

Mr Alam appeared at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court and pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity. The court fined him £80 and ordered him to pay a £32 victim surcharge and £500 prosecution costs.

Environment Agency | A Birmingham director and his company have been ordered to pay a Proceeds of Crime order, fines and costs totalling £476,995 for breaches of the Fraud Act 2006.

An Environment Agency audit found EDU Case Ltd was entering false waste-export data into the National Packaging Waste Database. Director Shaobo Qin pleaded guilty at Birmingham Crown Court, receiving a two-year sentence (suspended for 18 months), disqualification, unpaid work and a £255,057 confiscation order.

The company was fined £200,000 and ordered to pay £21,995 in investigation costs. The false entries represented nearly two-thirds of its 2022 exports.

In September 2023 a notice required Qin to hand over his “evidence” stick and explain a 1,239 t claim that was only 453.6 t genuine. The judge noted the offending was deliberate but accepted the early plea and repayment funds.

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