Worker dies at plant owned by Gething donor firm

A contractor died at Atlantic Recycling, Cardiff, following an incident on Monday afternoon

A worker has been killed at a recycling site owned by a firm that gave £200,000 to Vaughan Gething's Welsh Labour leadership campaign.

Emergency crews were called to the Atlantic Recycling plant in Rumney, Cardiff, on Monday at 12:45 BST, South Wales Police said.

The man died of his injuries, police added, and his family had been informed.

The firm's parent company, Dauson Environmental Group, said it involved a "contractor carrying out maintenance" at the site.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has been informed and an investigation is ongoing, the force said.

Det Sgt Richard Hill, from South Wales Police, said: “We would like to offer our condolences to the family of the man who sadly lost his life.

"Our aim now, together with the Health and Safety Executive, is to carry out a robust investigation and establish the cause of this tragic incident.”

Dauson said in a statement: "We are continuing to support the emergency services and regulators with their ongoing investigations at this time."

The company's £200,000 donation to Welsh Labour leadership candidate Vaughan Gething became controversial when it was revealed its director David John Neal, was previously prosecuted for environmental offences in 2013 and 2017.

The first minister said he broke no rules, but lost a vote of no confidence in the Senedd last month over the issue.

Atlantic Recycling admitted a health and safety breach in the death of a worker in January and was fined £300,000.

Police attended the Atlantic Recycling site when a worker died after being run over by a shovel loader

Anthony Bilton, 59, was run over by a shovel loader at the firm's site in Rumney in September 2019.

An HSE investigation into that incident found an improper risk assessment had been done.

Atlantic Recycling released a statement saying it "apologises unreservedly to the family and friends of Mr Bilton".