Three factory bosses have been fined a total of £17,000 for breaches of health and safety rules that led to the death of a North-East steeplejack and his colleague in a chimney fireball.

Father-of-one Craig Whelan, 23, originally from Crook, County Durham, died when there was an explosion in the 150ft chimney he was helping demolish at a factory near Bolton, Greater Manchester, in May 2002.

The accident also claimed the life of father-of-two Paul Wakefield, 40, from Nottingham.

Managers of the Carnaud Metal Box plant-Ian Billington, 39, of Dunscar, Colin Stevens, 57, of Lostock, and John Kither, 50, of Swansea- were fined £7,500, £2,000 and £7,500 respectively.

But Judge Peter Openshaw QC, sitting at Preston Crown Court on Thursday, said the defendants had not deliberately cut costs at the expense of health and safety.

The two steeplejacks, from Nottingham firm Churchills, died in 220C temperatures and suffered multiple injuries when the flames melted steel cables and their hoist crashed 100ft to the ground.

Judge Openshaw said: "I understand that no sentence can restore the two lives that have been so tragically lost, but justice will be served by the imposition of a fine.

"Through no fault of the defendants, they had not been properly trained in health and safety.

"If they had been, they might have been more aware and concentrated their minds on making a proper risk assessment. "It cannot be proved that these breaches caused or contributed to the deaths of these two men."

Manslaughter charges against the defendants were dropped earlier this week, when the three men each pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of failing to disclose an employees duty to take reasonable care for health and safety.

But friends and relatives of the dead men were left angry after the hearing.

One former colleague, who asked not to be named, told The Northern Echo: "It is disgusting that two lives have been priced at a few thousand pounds."