By Charlie Fenton and Catherine Musgrove
A council has been charged over the death of a “much-loved” soccer coach after he was crushed to death by a 200-year-old tree during a storm.
Paul Fiddler, 41, died after the tree fell onto his Citroen van on the A59 in Longton, Lancashire, in December 2024 during Storm Darragh.
The huge tree was on land belonging to South Ribble Borough Council (SRBC).
And it has since been charged by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) over Fiddler’s death, saying they did not ensure he was not exposed to safety risks.
An HSE spokesperson said: “We can confirm that the Health & Safety Executive has taken the decision to prosecute South Ribble Borough Council in relation to the death of Paul Fiddler.
“Paul was killed when a tree fell on his vehicle as he drove along the A59 Longton Bypass in Hutton on Dec. 7, 2024.
“Our decision follows an investigation which was initially conducted jointly with Lancashire Police.
“We remind all those concerned that criminal proceedings are now active.
“Our thoughts remain with Paul’s family at this difficult time.”
Emergency workers scrambled to the scene on Dec. 7 at around 9 a.m. after receiving notification of the col...