The employee at M & D Roof Coatings was seen power washing the sloping roof last May while standing at the edge, without any safety precautions in place to stop him falling to the ground below.

Halton Magistrates’ Court in Runcorn heard the employee was photographed working nearly five metres above the ground on the roof of a semi-detached house on Grasmere Road in Lymm, Cheshire.

Safety inspectors immediately issued a prohibition notice, ordering the work to stop, until scaffolding, edge protection or other safety equipment had been provided.

M&D Roof Coatings of Marsland Road in Sale was found guilty of safety breaches and fined £10,000 and ordered to pay prosecution costs of £7,269.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE Inspector John Ellis said: “It’s incredible that workers were expected to power wash a roof while standing on it, without any scaffolding or edge protection to stop them falling.

“One slip and the worker would have fallen to the ground, resulting in him being seriously injured or even killed.”