Court told of moment bodies found after fireworks factory blaze

Members of a search and rescue team came across a wallet, car keys and watch under mounds of debris more than three feet deep, topped by filing cabinets that had crashed down from the floor above after the ceiling gave way.

The personal effects found in the ashes of SP Fireworks in Baswich, near Stafford, belonged to employee Simon Hillier, 41, and customer Stewart Staples, 57. The fire was so severe that investigators could not enter the building until almost 24 hours later.

Examination of the scene was carried out using methods similar to an archaeological dig, with investigators on their hands and knees, moving inch by inch, excavating the debris with hand trowels.

James Holder, an investigator from West Midlands Fire Service, said the victims' position, 'virtually on the floor' indicated how quickly the fire had spread giving them no chance to escape, despite being close to the exterior doors at the time.

Owner of the business Richard Pearson, who himself was badly burned in the 2014 fire, denies two counts of manslaughter. Prosecutors allege the 43-year-old caused the deaths of the two men, both from Hednesford, by gross negligence.

It is claimed that Mr Hillier had been preparing mortars for a Young Farmers display in a conservatory-type area at the back of the shop instead of outside, against safety regulations. He was also using a Stanley knife to cut cables, risking a spark from the blade.

However, Mr Richard Furlong, defending Pearson, suggested to Mr Holder that the blaze had started on the first floor of the Tilcon Avenue unit, instead of on the ground.

A mezzanine floor had been completely destroyed and the walls of the upper storey blown out by the blaze and subsequent explosions, while the walls of the shop below had stayed in place. But Mr Holder disagreed, stating that the walls were made of different materials.

The jury was shown a rocket-type firework alleged to have been in the left hand of Mr Hillier when he was found face-down.

The post mortem revealed a linear mark on his chest, suggesting the firework may have been under his body during the fire, its relatively well-preserved condition indicating it had been protected from the flames.

Pearson, of Holyrood Close, Stafford, is accused of failing to take reasonable care in the storage and handling of explosives. He was licensed to store up to 250kg at the warehouse but had potentially 10 times that amount. The fireworks should also have been kept in a detached unit, whereas Pearson's factory adjoined other businesses.

The trial continues.