Wife of Liverpool crane victim angry after accident ruling

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The widow of a construction worker crushed to death by a crane today spoke of her anger and grief after an inquest ruled it was an accident.

Father-of-two Zbigniew Roman Swirzynski was struck by a 2.4 ton concrete counterweight which fell from the crane on 15 January, last year.

Other parts of the crane were catapulted over a line of terrace houses landing in the street and smashed into cars parked next to the site. The concrete counterweight block normally sits behind a crane driver's cab.

Kataryzyna Swirzynski, speaking through her husband's niece Monika Litwin, said outside the court she had thought the UK was "safe" but the inquest had not told her who was responsible.

She said: "We have come here today to get some answers as to how and why her husband was killed. How can she and her kids live without him?

"That's important. Who is going to be there for her and her kids to help and support her? She wants to know who is responsible for taking him away from her and his kids.

"She is angry because it (the verdict) leaves questions unanswered."

Mrs Swirzynski, who has a son aged five and a daughter aged 13, moved to Lancashire in November 2006 for Mr Swirzynski's work.

Mr Swirzynski started work on the Liverpool site in December 2003, his 34-year-old widow, from Ingol, near Preston, said through the translator.

The couple were married in Poland on 25 September 1993.

Today, the jury of seven men and four women took 45 minutes to return an accidental verdict at Liverpool Coroner's Court.

Liverpool coroner Andre Rebello, said he would be writing to the government about the safety of tower cranes being used across Europe.

Mr Rebello said "multiple injuries" caused Mr Swirzynski's death.

He said: "The jury conclude that Mr Swirzynski died as a result of an accident."

Earlier today the inquest had heard how there was a "massive overload" which caused the crane to snap just below the driver's cab and collapse onto the building site in Colquitt Street in Liverpool where an apartment block and underground car park were being constructed.

A spokesman for the Health and Safety Executive said itsinvestigation into the crane and current safety regulations which are standard across Europe was ongoing.