INVESTIGATIONS are continuing into the death of a warehouse worker crushed by a forklift truck at a supermarket warehouse.

Joseph Ward, 55, a single man who lived in Birtley, near Gateshead, died of severe head injuries at the Co-op distribution site on the Drum Industrial Estate, between Birtley and Chester-le-Street, at 2.30pm on Tuesday.

A post-mortem exmaination was carried out at the University Hospital of North Durham yesterday and an inquest is expected to open during the next few days.

According to the Co-operative group, Mr Ward had been with the company for 29 years, working in the warehouse, and was qualified to drive the pallet truck involved in the accident.

Officers from Durham Police and the Health and Safety Executive have visited the scene and are conducting an investigation.

Martin Henderson, a spokesman for the Co-operative group said: "The only thing that I can say at this stage is that this is a very tragic accident which we are still coming to terms with ourselves. We obviously extend our sympathies to his family and will be making a full investigation.

"Our main priority at the moment is to get to the bottom of how this accident occurred. We have our health and safety people on site today and are assisting the Health and Safety Executive, which is normal in these circumstances, to establish what happened."