Wilko fined £2.2m after worker crushed by cage

Nottinghamshire retail giant Wilko has been fined £2.2m after one of its workers was left paralysed after being crushed by a metal cage.

Corisande Collins was trapped under the case while working at the firm’s Leicester store in 2013 and now uses a wheelchair. Her family confirmed they will be seeking compensation.

Wilko admitted failing to ensure the health and safety of its employees at Leicester Crown Court.

The prosecution described it as a “high culpability case” as there was no risk assessment for the lift or the use of the roll cages, as well as “inadequate training and supervision”.

Health and safety inspectors said they were “shocked” by practices at the store, adding “the systems were unsafe”.

A statement from Wilko said: “The greater penalty for all of us is knowing that on this occasion we let one of our team members down.

“We are truly sorry that this incident happened and for the impact it has had on Corisande, her family and those around them, which the judge today recognised they have faced as a family and with great fortitude.”