Fleet tyre service provider fined after a 21-year-old technician died during a roadside repair on the M56.
A commercial tyre service provider has been fined £600,000 following the death of a 21-year-old technician who was fatally injured while replacing a truck tyre at the roadside.
Halford Commercial Fleet Services Limited, formerly known as Lodge Tyre Company Limited (The), pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.
At Warrington Magistrates' Court on 3 November 2026, the Redditch-based company was fined £600,000 and ordered to pay £24,203 in prosecution costs and a £200 victim surcharge.
The prosecution followed an investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) into the death of Niall Fawcett, who was killed during a roadside tyre replacement in Cheshire in August 2024.
HSE Media Centre
On 2 August 2024, Mr Fawcett was called to replace a blown tyre on a low-profile truck on the slip road at junction 7 of the M56 motorway near Bowdon.
According to the HSE, the vehicle is understood to have slipped from the hydraulic bottle jack being used to raise it while Mr Fawcett was positioned underneath.
The truck fell onto him, causing fatal head injuries.
The regulator's account does not establish that the jack itself was defective or identify a definitive technical cause for the vehicle slipping.
The HSE investigation identified failures in the company's arrangements for assessing and managing the risks of roadside commercial tyre work.
Risk assessment: The company had not properly assessed the particular hazards associated with replacing a blown tyre on a low-profile truck.
Work instructions: Employees had not been provided with suitable instructions, including guidance on when a vehicle should be recovered rather than repaired at the roadside.
Monitoring and supervision: Mr Fawcett had obtained his licence to work on commercial tyres at the roadside less than four months before the incident. The HSE found that he had not been subject to monitoring or supervision to ensure he was working safely.
These findings formed the basis of the regulator's account of the prosecution.
HSE Media Centre
The findings highlight three practical responsibilities for businesses providing commercial tyre fitting and roadside assistance.
First, risk assessments must address the specific vehicle and working conditions. Low-profile vehicles, restricted access beneath a chassis and the suitability of lifting arrangements can affect whether a roadside repair can be undertaken safely.
Second, technicians need clear procedures for determining when a repair should not proceed. The HSE specifically identified the absence of suitable instructions covering circumstances in which vehicle recovery would be the safer option.
Third, employers must ensure that technicians are competent and working safely, with suitable monitoring and supervision, particularly when they have limited experience of independent roadside operations.
The HSE's existing guidance on working under vehicles states that vehicles must be properly supported, that jacks should not be relied upon alone when working underneath a vehicle, and that unsuitable roadside conditions may require moving a vehicle to a safer location.
These are established safety considerations rather than new requirements introduced by the prosecution.
HSE+1
In a victim personal statement published by the HSE, Niall's mother, Sharon, described how her son had been planning his future with his partner, Megan. The couple were saving for their first home and had discussed starting a family.
She said:
"Niall went to work that day and should have been safe, supported and protected. Instead, my son never came home."
HSE Principal Inspector Laura Royales said the case highlighted the importance of employers assessing workplace risks, providing appropriate instructions and ensuring that monitoring and supervision arrangements enable employees to work safely.
The regulator has directed employers to its publication, Health and Safety in Motor Vehicle Repair and Associated Industries (HSG261), which includes guidance on tyre replacement, vehicle lifting and roadside repair.
HSE Media Centre+1
Primary source: Health and Safety Executive, 4 November 2026.
Tags: Halfords Fleet Services, Halford Commercial Fleet Services, Lodge Tyre, Niall Fawcett, HSE prosecution, roadside tyre fitting, commercial tyre safety, tyre technician safety, M56 incident, workplace health and safety
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