A Merseyside builder has been fined £1,500 with £1,000 costs after he and another man were spotted working on a pub roof in St Helens without safety equipment.

The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) prosecuted Charles Molloy from Molloy Building Contractors after an inspector spotted the men on the roof of the Black Horse Hotel.

St Helens Magistrates’ Court heard that Molloy, 64, had been hired to replace ridge tiles. But neither he nor the worker he employed wore harnesses, put up scaffolding or took any other safety precautions.

Molloy had ignored advice he was given about the way he was working by an Environmental Health Officer from St Helens Council a few days before HSE’s visit.

At the beginning of the month (March) HSE launched an intensive inspection initiative across the UK to stop dangerous practices in roofing work.

Construction is one of Britain’s most dangerous industries. In 2008/09, 53 construction workers died and 11,264 were seriously injured.

During the current initiative inspectors are making unannounced visits to ensure sites are managing work at height safely.

A Greater Manchester company has been fined £24,000 with £7,000 costs after scaffolding was blown over in high winds outside a new gym in Hyde. Several cars were crushed but nobody was hurt.

Craven Scaffolding of Sale were prosecuted by HSE at Trafford Magistrates’ Court last month. The court heard that the company had failed to tie the scaffolding, which was 40m wide and 6m high, to the building.