Albert Xhediku: Faulty electrics caused five-a-side player's death

Albert Xhediku's family said he "was a guy who did everything with all his heart"

A man electrocuted by a floodlight while retrieving a football died as a result of faulty electrics, an inquest jury has ruled.

Albert Xhediku, 34, received the fatal shock during a five-a-side match at the Mountbatten Leisure Centre in Portsmouth in 2016.

Another man reported suffering a shock from the same floodlight a month before Mr Xhediku's death, jurors heard.

The jury at Portsmouth Coroner's Court concluded his death was accidental.

Taxi driver Mr Xhediku was playing with friends on 17 January when the ball went out of play and he climbed a fence to collect it.

The inquest was told that while climbing the fence he touched a floodlight which had faults in its wiring.

Mr Xhediku's friends, who also suffered electric shocks as they pulled him down, attempted to resuscitate him but he was pronounced dead in hospital later the same evening.

Emergency services were called to the leisure centre after the fatal shock in 2016

The jury concluded that a fault to the floodlight had first been identified in November 2015, and another player had then reported suffering a shock in December 2015.

In its conclusion, the jury agreed that "the floodlight was not inspected, isolated or tested by an electrical contractor and remained in use following both occasions".

The all-weather pitch was managed at the time by Parkwood Community Leisure on behalf of Portsmouth City Council.

Parkwood Community Leisure said: "Since the incident, we have worked with relevant authorities to establish what happened and prevent the recurrence of a similar incident in the future."

The inquest heard the pitch was now managed by a different company, which had overseen repairs and installed anti-climbing structures around the pylons.

In a statement, Mr Xhediku's family said: "Albert was a guy who did everything with all his heart.

"Even when he was just playing football with his friends, he played like it was the championships.

"He was our big brother and a loving son."

A Health and Safety Executive investigation is continuing which will determine whether any prosecutions are brought.