A SAFETY inspector who gave a fairground ride the all-clear only weeks before it was involved in a life-threatening accident was fined £1,000 yesterday.

Brian Black, 54, of West Lothian, Scotland, admitted failing to discharge his duty and carry out a proper inspection under Health and Safety regulations.

Prosecuting on behalf of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), Tony Hawks told Teesside Crown Court how teenagers Stacey Moorhead, David Mole and Paul Wilkinson were injured when a car on a ride called the Ultimate Buzz became detached from its track and flew into the air, before crashing to the ground at Hartlepool headland in August 2000.

The court was told that Black, a registered inspector, had been involved with the ride since it came into the country from Belgium in 1998, and that he had issued safety certificates for it in 1998 and 1999.

The court heard that on June 8, 2000, Black had carried out a further inspection and again certified the ride as safe, even though it should have been apparent that mounting-plates on all the cars had deteriorated to the point where a complete overhaul was necessary.

Mr Hawks said: "His inspection was quite simply negligent."

Deborah Sherwin, in mitigation, said that during both his inspections in 1998 and 1999, he had pointed out to the ride's owner, Gilbert Findlay Jnr, that there were a number of things which needed doing.

She said that when Black inspected the ride, it had recently been painted, and he believed the ride to be in better condition than it was.

With hindsight, she said, Black knew he should have insisted that the cars were taken off the ride so he could inspect the fixings.

Black, she said, was well respected in his community and had been so devastated by the accident that he had not worked since.

On Wednesday, Findlay Jnr, 34, was fined £1,000 after being convicted of failing to ensure the safety of users of the ride.

Fining Black £1,000, Judge George Moorhouse said that he had been grossly negligent in giving the safety certificate.

A spokeswoman for the HSE said: "We are pleased to have got convictions for both the operator and the person who checks the ride for suitability.

"This goes out as a message to all fairground operators that they must maintain rides properly or the HSE will prosecute."