AN inquest was being held in Burnley today into a factory incident in which a contractor was crushed to death.

Robert McPhearson, 47, of Hyde, Manchester, died in the incident at the Cloverbrook factory in Gannow Lane, Burnley, in February.

Today's inquest was being heard by East Lancashire Coroner David Smith, sitting with a jury.

Mr McPhearson died when machinery, weighing between one and one and a half ton, fell on to him as it was being moved on the factory site.

The inquest was opened in February and adjourned pending the completion of inquiries by the police and the Health and Safety Executive.

The accident happened at Peel Mill, Gannow Lane, where fabric knitted at Riverside Knitting, in Lune Street, Padiham, is then dyed and finished.

When the inquest opened in February, Jean McPhearson, of Hyde, described her husband as a self-employed engineer and a fit and active man with no medical conditions.

He was employed on sub contact work by a Nottingham company.

Mr Smith said then the cause of death was multiple injuries.

Coroner's officer at that time, Michael Swailes, said initial inquiries indicated that the eight feet-high 'dragging' machine weighing between one and one and a half tons was being moved using skates and jacks.

As it was being lowered a jack slipped or started to move and the machine tipped over towards him.