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  "path": "/news/london-contractor-fined-40000-teenager-labourer-killed-fall-ventilation-shaft",
  "publishedAt": "2026-03-20T20:59:57.000Z",
  "site": "https://www.gbnews.com",
  "tags": [
    "Tributes flood in after death of legendary actor Chuck Norris following medical emergency",
    "Dame Jenni Murray dies aged 75 as tributes flood in for the iconic BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour star",
    "Fears grow as Canterbury meningitis outbreak reaches 29 cases, UKHSA confirms",
    "The GB News Editorial Charter"
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  "textContent": "\n\n\n\nA now-defunct construction firm has been ordered to pay £42,000 after admitting responsibility for the death of a teenage worker who plunged through an unsecured ventilation shaft.\n\nJerram Falkus Construction Ltd entered a guilty plea at City of London Magistrates' Court on March 18 to breaching Regulation 4(1) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nThe prosecution followed the fatal incident involving Renols Lleshi, a 19-year-old labourer from Ilford, who died at a development site on Mill Hill Road in July 2023.\n\nBeyond the fine, the court directed the company to cover £5,000 in costs alongside a £2,000 surcharge.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nTRENDING\n\nStories\n\nVideos\n\nYour Say\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nThe Health and Safety Executive conducted the investigation into the tragedy at the Ark Soane Academy site.\n\nMr Lleshi had been working to dismantle scaffolding on a roof garden situated on the 12th floor of a residential block when the accident occurred.\n\nThe young worker stepped onto a covering over a ventilation shaft, which collapsed beneath him, sending him falling six storeys to his death.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nInvestigators from the HSE discovered the shaft had been protected by nothing more than plasterboard and roofing foam.\n\nThe safety body revealed standard building inspections had failed to include the roof garden area, leaving the dangerous covering unidentified, meaning the scaffolding crew received no warning about the hazard.\n\nHe was employed by Embassy Site Services Ltd, a Purfleet-based company that had been subcontracted by Jerram Falkus Construction.\n\n### LATEST DEVELOPMENTS\n\n\n\n\n  * Tributes flood in after death of legendary actor Chuck Norris following medical emergency\n  * Dame Jenni Murray dies aged 75 as tributes flood in for the iconic BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour star\n  * Fears grow as Canterbury meningitis outbreak reaches 29 cases, UKHSA confirms\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nThe tragedy has left Lleshi's family struggling to come to terms with their loss, as they acknowledged the work undertaken by the safety regulator in pursuing justice.\n\nHis father expressed the depth of their anguish, stating: \"My family and I are devastated by the loss of Renols.\n\n\"To know that his death was caused by an accident which was entirely avoidable only makes our loss even harder to cope with.\n\n\"We are grateful to the Health and Safety Executive for their efforts to investigate the accident and prosecute one of those responsible for Renols's death\".\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nHowever, he emphasised no legal outcome could ease their pain, saying: \"Nothing anybody can do can bring our loved one back or lessen our grief in any way\".\n\nHSE inspector Natalie Prince highlighted the broader dangers facing workers in the construction industry.\n\nShe said: \"Falls from height are one of the biggest causes of workplace fatalities and major injuries.\n\n\"This was a wholly avoidable incident that led to the death of a young man. My thoughts are with Renols's family and friends\".\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nJerram Falkus Construction entered administration in February, with FRP Advisory appointed to handle the process.\n\nThe administrator described the business as a \"long-established, family-owned construction business operating across London and the South East\".\n\nThe company had primarily served local authorities and housing associations, delivering both new-build and refurbishment schemes.\n\nIts final audited accounts for the year ending July 31 2024 showed turnover of £47.6m and pre-tax profits of £37,000.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n**Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter**",
  "title": "Contractor fined £40,000 after teen labourer died on job from fall down ventilation shaft"
}