The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has ended its investigation into a 2017 crane collapse in Crewe that killed three people, saying there is not enough evidence to bring further charges.
Rhys Barker, 18, David Newall, 36, and David Webb, 43, died when the crane collapsed at a Seddon care-home project on Dunwoody Way, Crewe, in June 2017. Barker and Newall were crane erectors, while Webb was an electrician. All three worked for Falcon Tower Crane Services.
The falling crane also damaged two nearby homes.
Failed prosecution
The HSE charged Falcon in 2023 under sections 2(1) and 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974, following a six-year investigation. The company went on trial in 2024, but the regulator abandoned the case after key witness Alan Ridgway changed his evidence.
The HSE had argued that Falcon failed to appoint an appropriate person to oversee the preparation of the crane-erection method statement. Ridgway initially said he was not the appropriate person, but accepted under cross-examination that he was. A judge directed the jury to find Falcon not guilty on both charges.
In March 2026, the HSE lost a legal challenge against a £587,380 costs bill arising from the failed prosecution.
Coroner’s findings
An inquest last year concluded that staff errors and unsafe practices contributed to the deaths. Senior coroner Jacqueline Devonish recorded verdicts of accidental death, contributed to by errors in the method statement and the absence of partial ballast.
Devonish said mistakes in the documents setting out how the crane should be erected were not identified, creating “false confidence” in the paperwork. She also found that the supervisor did not follow the planned build sequence, causing the jib to slew in the opposite direction and putting nearby residents at risk.
An HSE spokesperson said: “After further investigation into this tragic incident we can confirm there was not enough evidence to prosecute anyone in relation to it.” The regulator said it had informed the three families and that its thoughts remained with them.