Company fined £325,000 for death of teen carpenter

The family of a teenage carpenter who fell to his death from unguarded scaffolding say their grief has been prolonged because the court proceedings against the company he worked for have taken so long.

16-year-old Alfie Perrin, had been working as an apprentice for Roof Top Rooms for just six weeks before the accident in Wanstead in 2012.

Today the company were fined £325,000 for his death, and the judge criticised their decision to initially plead not guilty.

Alfie had been allowed to throw bags of rubbish from the top of a scaffold into a skip below - a practice known as "rubbish bombing" - without a harness when he lost his balance and fell.

His boss, Andrew Voy stood trial for his manslaughter but the jury found him not guilty. Roof Top Rooms pleaded guilty to health and safety charges and are being sentence today. Alfie's mother Jacqui told me:

Alfie's father Mark says he will remain angry with the company.

The judge said it "beggars belief" that the firm involved did not know about scaffolding. Speaking after the judgement, the family said they were happy their long fight for justice was over.

The judge said his death has led to safety procedures being put in place that will protect other young people.