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Council pleads guilty over Atherstone fire deaths

WARWICKSHIRE County Council has pleaded guilty to health and safety charges over the deaths of four firefighters in the Atherstone warehouse blaze.

Ashley Stephens, 20, John Averis, 27, and Darren Yates-Badley, 24, were all found dead in the burnt factory after a major fire at the vegetable packing plant, in November 2007.

Rugby based fireman Ian Reid, 44, died later in hospital.

The council had been accused of failing to ensure safety at work and pleaded guilty at Wolverhampton Crown Court today (Friday) according to the BBC.

Chris Green, legal representative for the county council, said: "Warwickshire County Council has today entered a guilty plea to the charge it faces in connection with the Atherstone fire.

"That plea is entered on a limited basis and we should make it clear we do not accept many of the allegations made by the prosecution.

"We believe it is very important we say nothing that in any way prejudices the legal proceedings about these tragic events so we will not be saying anything further except that our thoughts today are with the families and friends of all those affected by the Atherstone fire just over four years ago."

Fire Service watch managers Timothy Woodward, 50 from Leamington, Paul Simmons, 49, from Hampton Magna, and Adrian Ashley, 44, from Nuneaton, all still face charges of manslaughter by gross negligence following the blaze.

More to follow.