Food Waste Firm Fined £2 Million After Two Workers Drown in Pig Feed Tanker Tragedy
A food recycling company has been slapped with a massive £2 million fine after being found guilty of corporate manslaughter. The verdict came following the tragic deaths of two employees who drowned inside a semi-liquid pig feed tanker on the road.
Tragic Incident at Greenfeeds Ltd in Leicestershire
In December 2016, Nathan Walker, 19, and Gavin Rawson, 35, lost their lives at Greenfeeds Ltd in Normanton, Bottesford, Leicestershire. The company, run by the Leivers family, specialised in producing bio-fuel and pig feed from recycled products, distributing it in road haulage tankers.
Walker, a yard staff member, climbed into a tanker to clean it after pig feed residue couldn’t be emptied. When he got into trouble, Rawson attempted a heroic rescue by entering the tanker too. Both men drowned after falling into the toxic semi-liquid feed and tragically passed away at the scene despite rescue efforts.
Damning Court Ruling and Harsh Sentences
After a six-week trial at Leicester Crown Court, Greenfeeds Ltd was convicted of corporate manslaughter. The firm, now in liquidation, was fined £2 million and admitted breaching health and safety laws by failing to protect employees.
Gillian Leivers, 60, the accounts manager overseeing daily operations, was jailed for 13 years for gross negligence manslaughter. She was also banned from being a company director for 15 years.
Ian Leivers, 59, managing director, received a 20-month prison sentence and a 10-year ban from directorship. Stewart Brown, transport manager, was handed a suspended one-year sentence after being acquitted of manslaughter but found guilty of health and safety breaches.
Safety Failures and Ignored Warnings
- Greenfeeds had no risk assessment or safety protocol for cleaning tankers.
- The dangerous practice allowed employees to enter tankers with power washers without breathing gear or PPE.
- Workers had raised safety concerns that were ignored.
- There was no dedicated health and safety officer at the firm.
The investigation revealed the cleaning method was fatally flawed, causing the two men to lose consciousness and drown in a toxic atmosphere inside the tanker.
Police Praise Families’ Strength and Call for Justice
“Nathan Walker and Gavin Rawson were two young men who had their entire lives ahead of them. They went to work where their safety should have been guaranteed. Instead, a deadly and careless system put their lives at extreme risk. Their deaths should never have happened,” said Detective Constable Kirsty Iqbal.
She thanked the families for their patience and cooperation during the complex investigation. The police also applauded the response teams and Crown Prosecution Service for their relentless efforts to secure justice.
