3A Roofing director Anthony Nightingale of Copdock, Ipswich, was filmed using a petrol-powered disc cutter to cut through a tile while he and an employee worked on the roof without any edge protection.

A member of the public spotted the unsafe work at Dennington, Suffolk last July and reported it to the HSE.

Ipswich Magistrates’ Court heard that Nightingale failed to use a suitable roof ladder to reach the ridge and he and his employee were seen clambering up and down the tiles.

They were seen walking along the ridge where there were no measures in place to prevent them from falling off the roof.

Nightingale pleaded guilty and was fined £1,300 with £3,000 in prosecution costs.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE Inspector Elizabeth Fowle said: “Mr Nightingale should have led by example, but instead he put his own life and the life of an employee at risk.

“Fortunately no one was injured on this occasion, but it is astonishing that Mr Nightingale thought it was acceptable to use a potentially dangerous piece of machinery while perched at the top of the roof.

“This case should serve as a warning to other company directors that if you work without the right safety equipment and put lives at risk, you could end up in court.”