ONE of Burnley biggest employers is due to appear in court tomorrow after a worker's arm was crushed by a paper roller at a factory.

Health and Safety officials have charged Papermarc after Brett Hall, 34, of Burnley, suffered serious arm injuries when he was pulled into a paper roller at the company's factory in Ashfield Road on September 29 last year.

The Health and Safety Executive launched an inquiry into the accident at the firm, which employs 250 workers in Burnley, and has now charged the company.

Papermarc representatives are set to appear at Reedley Magistrates tomorrow charged with failing to ensure the safety of an employee and failing to make an adequate risk assessment.

Last year another Papermarc worker Ian Holgate died of multiple injuries when he was dragged into rollers at the factory while trying to clear a blockage.

The 29-year-old father-of-two, of St Giles Terrace, Padiham, died following the incident on January 26 last year.

Bosses at the firm were also ordered to combat racism in the workplace last year after a tribunal found that three Asian machinists were overlooked for promotion in favour of white colleagues.

The workers were awarded compensation after a tribunal found they had been victims of racial discrimination at the former Smurfit paper mill, which also has a site in Blackburn. The hearing was told that the three machinists, Mohammed Abid, 25, Hassan Khan, 27 and Mohammed Ibrar, all from Stoneyholme, Burnley, suffered discrimination when managers failed to promote them in favour of white colleagues.

The hearing was told racist insults and banter were commonplace on the shop floor at site in Caldervale Road, Burnley, site and while shift managers and team leaders were well aware that such comments were being made, they took no action.