THE colleague of a recycling plant worker told a jury of the moment he found him fatally injured inside a waste separation machine - five minutes after discovering another employee who went on to survive.

John Bennett was giving evidence at the inquest into the death of Simon Hogg, 47, who became trapped in a rotating drum, known as a trommel, while on an overtime shift at the John Wade recycling plant, in Aycliffe Village, near Newton Aycliffe.

The 11-member jury at Crook Coroner’s Court was previously told Mr Hogg, of Hurworth Place, near Darlington, had climbed inside the drum, used within the separation process, with colleague Ray Garrett to clear a blockage on the morning of December 12, 2015.

Yesterday the court heard senior machine driver Mr Bennett came across the scene when, after coming to the end of his Saturday morning shift, he went to the “picking line” being operated that day by Mr Hogg, Mr Garrett, site manager David Basham and banksman David McEntaggert.

He joined the latter two who were clearing a blockage from a raised cabin, known as the picking shed.

The court heard the blockage was caused by paper being being put through the process, normally used for domestic waste, as an experiment to make animal bedding.

Assistant coroner Oliver Longstaff, putting to Mr Bennett his account to police, said he described Mr McEntaggert leaving the shed to check for further blockages - only to return to tell the pair “something serious had gone wrong”. Mr Bennett followed Mr McEntaggert to the rear of the trommel and found Mr Garrett, who had leg and head injuries.

The court heard Mr Bennett was not sure if his co-worker could speak but encouraged Mr Garrett to squeeze his hand, which he did.

Mr Longstaff said he described to police that he went to the entrance of the trommel to make way for the emergency services and noticed the drum was “fairly full” with paper.

He was moving paper away when he spotted something he immediately knew was Mr Hogg, although no mention of Mr Hogg had been made until this point.

“You tried to get Simon Hogg out but sadly you could tell from what you could see of him that he had already passed away,” added Mr Longstaff, which the witness accepted.

Mr Bennett said there was a five minute delay between Mr Garrett being found and Mr Hogg being found.

The jury also heard from site electrician Martin Brennan, John Causer, who usually operated the line, and two employees present on the day.

Mr Causer said he habitually circumvented safety processes which may have influenced Mr Garrett, whose usual role was assisting him.

This included jumping over rails and not using padlocks to ensure the isolation of machinery.

On the day of the incident Mr Garrett was operating the line and Mr Hogg was assisting.

The inquest continues.