Bosley Mill blast: Devastation 'like out of the movies'

The devastation in the wake of a fatal factory explosion was like something "out of the movies", a court has heard.

Derek Moore, Dorothy Bailey, Jason Shingler and Derek William Barks were killed in the blast at Wood Flour Mills in Bosley, Cheshire, in July 2015.

The body of Mr Shingler was never found in the destruction, with the fire taking days to suppress.

A firm and its director are standing trial at Chester Crown Court over their deaths and deny manslaughter charges.

Jason Shingler was a charge-hand at the site. He was 38.

The remains of cleaner Dorothy Bailey, 62, maintenance fitter Derek William Barks, known as Will, 51, and mill worker Derek Moore, 62, were recovered in the days following the explosion.

In court on Monday, the prosecution alleged that wood dust - which it said was recognised as hazardous - had not been dealt with properly, and a build-up of the substance contributed to the explosion.

Wood Treatment Ltd denies four charges of corporate manslaughter.

Its director, George Boden, 64, of Church Road, Stockport, - who was on holiday at the time of the blast - denies four counts of gross negligence manslaughter.

Operations manager Philip Smith, 58, of Raglan Road, Macclesfield, and mill manager Peter Shingler, 56, of Turnstall Road, Bosley, both deny a health and safety offence.

The court heard emergency services were called to the mill following the explosion at 09:11 BST on 17 July 2015 to find flames and casualties, including walking wounded with burns and about 20 "shell-shocked" people standing outside.

One fire officer reported devastation everywhere and said it was like "a scene out of the movies", Tony Badenoch QC, prosecuting, told jurors.

He added more than 800 tonnes of rubble had to be moved, with police divers deployed to underground culverts in a bid to find missing people alive.

Despite a five-month investigation, the cause of the blast has never been established.

"While it is not possible, nor is it necessary, to be certain about the exact sequence of events, there is one obvious certainty," Mr Badenoch said.

"There was a quantity of material which was available to explode in this way - without which there would have been no explosion, there would not have been four tragic deaths, and others would not have been seriously injured."

Mr Boden also denies one count of being the director of a corporate body which committed a health and safety offence.

Wood Treatment Ltd has admitted a health and safety offence relating to the incident.

The trial continues.

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