Little Horton man killed in tragic lift accident (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Little Horton man killed in tragic lift accident

9:00am Wednesday 19th September 2012 in News Exclusive By Kathie Griffiths, T&A Reporter

Family and friends will say their final farewells next week to a father-of-three from Little Horton killed at work while dismantling a lift at an empty office block.

Tony Victor, who was 54, died on July 24 at a three-storey building in Queen Street, Leeds – the former premises of solicitors Irwin-Mitchell that was being re-developed.

It was reported that the new owners of the building had been given planning permission to add two new floors to the building.

Mr Victor was employed by Northowram-based James Hudson Demolition Ltd of Brow Side Farm, Medley Lane, who had been sub-contracted to do ‘soft-demolition’ work there.

An inquest that opened and adjourned in Leeds for more investigations, including those by the Health & Safety Executive and the police, heard how Mr Victor was declared dead at the scene by paramedics.

He had arrived at work at 7.50am with three other colleagues and had been dismantling a lift on the ground floor.

At about 11am that day he told fellow workers the lift work was finished except for the lift shaft but within minutes, a work-mate heard a noise and discovered Mr Victor in the shaft injured. It is believed he was hit by the lift’s counter-weight.

Mr Victor’s funeral will be on Friday, September 28, at St Oswald’s Church in Southfield Road, Little Horton at 10am followed by cremation at Scholemoor.

He leaves a wife Carole and children Jordan, Craig and Helen.

No one at James Hudson Demolition Ltd wished to comment.

A spokesman for the Health & Safety Executive said: “A joint investigation is ongoing into the Queen Street death in July.

“West Yorkshire Police have retained primacy, so they remain the lead authority.”

A police spokesman confirmed that was the case.

It is likely to be some time before the full inquest is resumed because of the nature of Mr Victor’s death, according to Leeds Coroner’s Court .