Ian Allan Building Contractors Ltd was prosecuted following the incident in the grounds of the Old Vicarage, off Knaresborough Road, Murton, County Durham on 1 May 2009.

Consett Magistrates’ Court heard Kevin Clark, 54, from Swalwell, Gateshead, was working on the windows of a new building when the scaffolding platform he was standing on became dislodged, causing him to fall more than four metres to the ground.

Clark suffered several crushed vertebrae in his spine and a fractured left foot and was in hospital for two weeks following the incident.

The HSE investigation revealed that the company had failed to control alterations to the scaffolding, failed to conduct inspections of the scaffold at least every seven days, failed to identify and correct unsafe alterations and allowed workers to use unsafe scaffolding.

The firm was fined a total of £3,000 including costs.

Clark said: “I took it for granted the scaffolding I was working on was safe. If it had been checked properly the incident never would have happened and I wouldn’t be left with the injuries I have to live with now.

“I’ve had steel rods put in my spine, I’m in constant pain and it restricts my movement and makes walking really difficult. I’ll probably never be able to do the job I did again.

“I hope this prosecution helps make other employers realise the importance of ensuring scaffolding is safe so other workers don’t have to suffer as I have.”

HSE Construction Inspector Andrea Robbins said: “I’d like to stress to all companies and employees who use scaffolding that it should always be constructed to a recognised standard, any alterations should only be made by a competent person and it should be inspected by a competent person on handover and at least every seven days as work progresses.”