The family of a gardener who died on a ride-on mower that he was not trained to use said they had been "robbed of a son".

Jan and Kevin Wilson were speaking after a jury returned a verdict of accidental death on Elliott Wilson, 24.

Speaking for the family, Mrs Wilson, of Ashford Road, Chelmsford, said: "We have been robbed big time and he has been deprived of a life. He was a beautiful boy. He was always a hard worker.

"We feel he was let down by the company."

The inquest heard that Elliott, who was living with partner, Anna Frost, 25, in Coval Lane, Chelmsford, had received no training for using a Walker diesel ride-on mower.

His head became lodged between its grass box and a tree branch at the home of Geoffrey Bell in Ferry Road, Burnham, on July 3 last year.

Elliott had been working with Acer Landscapes of Galleywood for two years. He was with supervisor Gary Walls when the accident happened.

Health and Safety Executive officer Steve Hook investigated the scene. He said the mower was unique in that it had levers to move it back and forth. It didn't have conventional brake pedals but three cut-off buttons, one of which was not working.

He said the mower was poorly maintained but Mr Hook could not be sure if that contributed to the accident.

William Broomfield, managing director of Acer, said that in the 11 years the company had been running, there were always training programmes in place.

He said all staff were warned of disciplinary action if they used machinery they were not trained for.

He said Elliott had certificates, which included using a pedestrian mower and health and safety.

A Health and Safety inquiry is under way.

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Published Friday, November 25, 2005

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