Inquest opens into deaths of two men killed in factory 'fireball'

The inquest into the deaths of two men in an industrial fire in Norwich have started today.

Daniel Timbers, 29, and Barry Joy, 56, both died as a result of the effects of fire and inhalation of fumes of combustion in Hellesdon in July 2015.

Both men were working in a spray booth at Harford Attachments, which makes and paints buckets for diggers.

A fierce fire broke out and despite the efforts of colleagues, they couldn't be saved.

Police investigating the industrial accident described the blast as a 'fireball'.

Mr Joy's son Charlie also worked for the firm, so too did Mr Timbers' father Mick. He was ill that day, so Daniel stood in for him in the spray booth.

Family members briefly left the inquest while post mortem reports were read out.

Flowers were left at the scene in memory of the men who were killed Credit: ITV News Anglia

The post-mortem examinations revealed the men could only be identified by their dental records.

Kenneth Steadman, Managing Director of Industrial Powder and Paint Services in Ipswich told the inquest he bought two spray booths which were being decommissioned at RAF Lyneham, and one of the booths was bought from him by Mr Kidd at Harford Attachents. He said it had been well maintained.

In the days following the deaths of Mr Joy and Mr Timbers, their families said they were "shocked and devastated by the tragic losses".

The inquest is expected to last up to ten days.

Five fire engines were called to the scene on Spar Road, Norwich Credit: ITV News Anglia