A BRITISH Telecom worker was catapulted to her death from the top of a telegraph pole her employers knew was unsafe, a court heard this week.

A jury at Bristol Crown Court on Wednesday heard 32-year-old telephone engineer Tara Whelan died after a passing lorry hit low-hanging wires, snapping the pole she was working on and throwing her 20ft to the road below.

She suffered fatal head injuries in the accident in Hilperton, near Trowbridge, in May 2001 and died eight days later at Bristol's Frenchay Hospital. Bristol Crown Court heard the pole and its fixtures were the responsibility of BT, who, despite being warned by an inspector that there were low wires one-and-a-half years earlier, allowed a dangerous' situation to develop.

The jury was told Scottish and Southern Energy engineers had earlier attended a fault just yards from the pole, caused by a high-sided vehicle striking the low hanging BT cable, but apparently failed to pass the information on to BT.

BT denies one charge of failing to ensure the safety of their employees and one charge of failing to conduct an undertaking to ensure the safety of persons not in their employment.

SSE denies one charge of failing to inform other employers and one charge of failing to conduct an undertaking to ensure the safety of persons not in their employment. Oba Nsugbe, prosecuting on behalf of the Health and Safety Executive, said both companies had been responsible for Ms Whelan's death.

"In Marsh Road the telecommunications and power networks are in close proximity. The manner in which both companies conducted their undertakings caused or contributed in differing degrees to this avoidable accident," he said. "By the afternoon of May 25, when Tara Whelan fell to what was to be her death, a dangerous situation had developed. BT allowed that situation to develop. It directly contributed to her death.

"SSE might have reduced that risk had they communicated information to the first defendant, which they didn't. "They concluded that the BT cable had suffered an impact from a high-sided vehicle and that cable was low. It's that vital information they should have passed to BT."

He said BT pole inspectors had noted as early as October 1999 and February 2001 that the 35-year-old pole had low-hanging wires. One inspector noted that the pole was leaning towards the ground and had not been sunk deep enough into the soil.

He recommended that it was replaced with a larger pole with a stay. The case, which is due to last two months, continues.