TRADE unionists demonstrated outside a London court yesterday in protest at a 10-year delay in bringing a company and director to trial over two deaths in an industrial accident.

Jonathon Cloke, 37, fell to his death from the cab of a crane when it overloaded and snapped at a Barratt Homes site in Battersea in September 2006.

And a section of the crane struck and killed Michael Alexa, 23, while he was cleaning his car in a neighbouring street.

The crane was supplied by Falcon Crane Hire Ltd.

The Health & Safety Executive investigated and identified alleged failings with maintenance and overloading of the crane.

Falcon Crane Hire and director George Genge have been charged with breaches of the Health & Safety at Work Act.

But their first appearance in court did not take place until February 25 this year at Westminster magistrates’ court.

The case was referred to Southwark Crown Court where it opened yesterday, but the full hearing will not take place until September 2016 due to “shortage of capacity in the courts.”

GMB national health and safety officer John McClean said: “It is an outrage that there will be a 10 years’ delay for trial to take place for the company and the director for these deaths due to a crane collapse.

“Faulty crane maintenance caused these deaths.”

He added that safety regulations covering use of cranes introduced after the tragedy had been revoked by the coalition government after pressure from employers.