Food Waste Company Slapped with £2m Fine Over Fatal Tanker Deaths
A food waste recycling firm has been hit with a massive £2 million fine following the tragic deaths of two employees who drowned inside a semi-liquid pig feed tanker. Greenfeeds Ltd was found guilty of corporate manslaughter after Nathan Walker, 19, and Gavin Rawson, 35, fatally fell into the tanker on a Leicestershire road in December 2016.
Fatal Flaws in Tanker Cleaning Process
The disaster happened at Greenfeeds’ site in Bottesford, Normanton. The company, run by the Leivers family, turned recycled products into bio-fuel and pig feed, delivered via tankers. Investigations revealed dangerously inadequate safety measures during tanker cleaning.
- No risk assessments or proper safety plans existed for entering the tankers.
- No protective breathing equipment was provided.
- Workers ignored repeated warnings about the hazardous cleaning method.
- The “spotter and power-washer” system put employees at lethal risk.
On the fatal day, Walker climbed into the tanker to clean it after it failed to empty properly. Rawson attempted to rescue him but both men drowned in the toxic, oxygen-poor feed.
Executives Sentenced for Gross Negligence
Following a six-week trial at Leicester Crown Court, the company and its executives faced harsh penalties:
- Greenfeeds Ltd fined £2 million for corporate manslaughter and safety breaches.
- Gillian Leivers, 60, jailed for 13 years for gross negligence manslaughter and banned from being a director for 15 years.
- Ian Leivers, 59, sentenced to 20 months behind bars and disqualified from directing companies for 10 years.
- Stewart Brown, 69, received a 1-year suspended sentence for failing to ensure workplace safety but was cleared of manslaughter charges.
Police Call for Justice and Caution
“Nathan Walker and Gavin Rawson were two young men who had their entire lives ahead,” said Detective Constable Kirsty Iqbal. “They went to work where their safety should have been a priority. Instead, they faced a fundamentally dangerous system that led to their deaths — a tragedy that should never have happened.”
She paid tribute to the victims’ families for their strength and thanked all who worked on the complex case, including emergency responders and the Crown Prosecution Service.
The firm had already stopped trading and entered liquidation. This case stands as a stark warning to companies about the cost of neglecting workplace safety.
