'Shambles' caused bus death

The country's biggest bus operator faces a fine after being convicted of a health and safety "shambles" over the death of one of its drivers.

Robert Cherry, 59, was crushed to death when he was trapped between two buses at a depot in Uxbridge belonging to Centrewest London, a subsidiary of the First UK group.

The grandfather had been collecting a can of water to top up his vehicle's engine when the gear stick of the bus in front slipped and the vehicle reversed into him.

Mr Cherry was pinned between the first bus and the one behind, which was in turn thrown back into a third vehicle. He died at the scene of the accident.

At Southwark crown court yesterday, a jury unanimously found Centrewest London Buses had breached its health and safety obligations towards Mr Cherry.

The court heard the operator kept 119 buses at the Uxbridge depot, which should have had a maximum capacity of 65 and that there had been numerous minor collisions before the fatal accident in May 2004. Prosecutor Joanna Greenberg QC described the whole arrangement as "a shambles".

Mr Cherry, a former graphic designer with two daughters, had lived in Ruislip with his wife Patricia.

First UK is a subsidiary of the First Group, which bills itself as "the world's leading transport operator".

Centrewest London Buses group had denied breaching health and safety obligations.