A GRIEVING daughter has criticised a landlord for not mending a broken gas pipe outside her father’s Bournemouth flat last Christmas Eve. Ex-soldier and scaffolder Ernest Begbie was found dead inside his first floor flat in Windham Road, Boscombe, the next day after using a borrowed patio heater indoors to try and keep warm. At an inquest in Bournemouth, district coroner Sheriff Payne recorded the verdict that the 64-year-old’s death from carbon monoxide poisoning had been an accident. Friend and neighbour Mary O’Gormley said Mr Begbie had borrowed the tabletop heater a few weeks earlier. “He had been having problems with the boiler for a while,” she told the hearing. He was aware of the warnings attached to the heater, but told her he would just use it for five minutes to take the chill off the room. She became concerned when she could not contact Mr Begbie on Christmas Day. A friend broke in and found him lying dead upstairs with the door and window shut. There was only a trace of alcohol in his system, but he had taken cocaine and heroin. The inquest heard a fire officer and police officers had been called to the house in the early hours of Christmas Eve because Mr Begbie reported that a gas pipe had been pulled off the wall while he was out. The gas was switched off. Landlord Steven Wells said Mr Begbie visited his offices to report the damaged pipe to his manager. “There wasn’t a lot we could do on Christmas Eve,” he said. Mr Begbie’s daughter Georgina, herself a property manager, told the coroner: “It’s a legal requirement for them to carry out that repair. It would have taken 45 minutes. They didn’t even attempt it. “When I visited the office, they couldn’t even look me in the eye. He chose to have that heater in there, but he didn’t have any choice. He was cold.” After the hearing, Mr Wells offered his condolences to the Begbie family.
The incident occurred in the Mianshan Mountain area, a scenic spot near Jiexiu City at around 8:30 a.m. Thursday, when the scaffolding collapsed on a bus station under construction, killing six workers at the site, Jiexiu city government said in a statement.
Three other workers injured have been admitted to hospital, it said.
An investigation into the cause of the accident is underway. 
His wagon flattened part of the South Tyneside Homes HQ in Jarrow when it ploughed into the entrance.
Mr Robertson, 44, claims he smashed into the building where dozens work after his contract was terminated by the housing company which, he said, led to his scaffolding firm going under.
Upset at losing his business, Mr Robertson said he drove into the grounds of Strathmore House at Viking Industrial Park and rammed into a company car.
He said he then reversed his 22ft company wagon into the entrance and did not stop until the whole vehicle was submerged.
The dad-of-four allegedly waited outside for the police to arrive so he could explain why he caused the damage.
Mr Robertson, from Jarrow, said: “I know what I did was wrong, but I did it anyway. They destroyed my business.
“I only had one customer, which was them, and we had an agreement that I had the exclusive rights to do all of their scaffolding work. I used to turn away business so I could dedicate myself to them.
“Then, one day, they called me up and said they weren’t going to use me anymore. Well, that was it for my company. I had to let all 20 workers go.”
Mr Robertson claims STH agreed a five-year contract with his Hebburn-based company, Robertson Scaffolding LTD, in 2008. He added STH terminated the contract in November last year.
Mr Robertson drove one of his wagons to the housing headquarters in Rolling Mill Road, which oversees housing repairs and maintenance across South Tyneside, including the Decent Homes programme.
After crashing into the building he was arrested on suspicion of criminal damage but has not yet been charged with any offences.
He is due to answer police bail later this month.
Mr Robertson, who lives with wife Susan in York Avenue, added: “When I drove over there I just wanted to leave my wagon in front of the entrance so they could see it in the morning.
“But then I saw an electric company car, so I smashed into it. After that looked at the entrance and decided to reverse into that as well.
“I waited outside and smoked two cigarettes until the police showed up.
“I had no intention of running away.
“I wanted to tell them what I did and why I did it.
“I told them everything in my police interview.”
Workers were drafted in on the morning after the accident to repair the damaged entrance.
A police spokeswoman said: “A 44-year-old man from Jarrow has been questioned and bailed after a vehicle was driven into Strathmoor House on March 20.
“He was arrested on suspicion of criminal damage.”
A spokesman for STH refused to comment on claims the company terminated Mr Robertson’s contract, but chief executive Isobel Riley said: “We are currently assisting the police with their investigation into the incident.”
Some contractors have struggled to unravel what is classified as a “basic” scaffold and what is deemed more complicated requiring more detailed design work under the new standard.
The standard TG20:08 details how tube and fitting scaffolding can be erected to comply with the European standard BS EN 12811-1, which supersedes BS 5973.
It has been in force since the start of the year, but much of the industry is still in a muddle about the details that define how the design should be classified to comply with the new regulations.
The new guide has been issued by the National Access and Scaffolding Confederation in an effort to educate the wider industry and demystify TG20.
The interactive programme provides a 3D picture which can be edited, adapted and customised.
Once inputted scaffold managers and estimators can determine whether a scaffold passes or fails the criteria for a ‘basic scaffold’.
If it does not meet the criteria of a ‘basic scaffold’ the check clearly identifies where a scaffold does and does not meet the requirements allowing users to modify the design until compliant.
It can be directly ordered from the NASC by visiting 
Police were forced to close the roads near the building on Harton Staithes at about noon yesterday, over fears the scaffolding could pose a risk to passing motorists and pedestrians.
Firefighters were on standby as workers battled against the strong winds to make the steel structure safe, while traffic was diverted away from the building.
Lorry driver Billy Carruthers, 49, from Sunderland, said: “There has been a bit of a hold-up and no doubt it’s inconvenient for all of us on the road.
“But it could be dangerous if something falls, and they have to keep the place safe.”
A police spokesman confirmed the roads were re-opened at around 1pm after the scaffolding was made secure.
The controversial building on the Riverside is a joint venture between South Tyneside Council and BT.
As part of a strategic partnership between the pair, the telecoms giant agreed to set up its regional headquarters on the riverside location at South Shields.
However, the siting of the building has not been without criticism with fears it will block the view of the riverside.
Via: www.shieldsgazette.com 
