Daily Star
·Jul 2026
Teen apprentice crushed to death 'alone' after employer 'utterly failed her'
An 18-year-old apprentice carpenter, Chloe Bidwell, was fatally crushed by unsecured wooden boards while working alone at a property in Bangor. Investigators found significant safety failures by her employer, Varcity Living Limited, including inadequate supervision, lack of safe storage procedures, and absence of a lone-working policy. The company was fined £50,000, and director David Horrocks received a suspended prison sentence. Chloe’s family expressed their grief and urged employers to take workplace safety responsibilities seriously, while the Health and Safety Executive stressed that the tragedy was entirely preventable.