By Neal Keeling,Peter Davidson

Copyright dailyrecord

A widow is preparing to take legal action against a utilities giant after her husband was fatally electrocuted whilst trimming hedges. Gardener Blair Campbell, 35, tragically lost his life when he accidentally cut through a substation wire. The incident occurred three years ago this week, and his grieving widow, Tina, claims she has yet to receive an apology or compensation from SP Energy Networks – a subsidiary of Scottish Power – who managed the station. She now plans to initiate civil proceedings against the company for damages relating to her husband’s untimely death at the age of 35. An inquest last year revealed that Blair had relocated to the UK from New Zealand and established his own business , Blue Kiwi Gardens and Maintenance, in Mobberley, Cheshire, around 2020. However, while he was pruning hedges at a local residence, he suffered a lethal electric shock upon coming into contact with wires on a pole-mounted substation on October 3, 2022. Despite being airlifted to hospital, he sadly passed away shortly afterwards. The inquest, held at Cheshire Coroner’s Court , heard that the pole structure of the substation had been obscured by dense ivy at the time of the incident. The jury was informed that this vegetation had entirely concealed the necessary warning signs, leaving Blair oblivious to the potential hazards, reports the Manchester Evening News . The court also noted that prior to Blair’s death, several reports highlighting the need to remove the ivy had been ignored. In the wake of this tragic event, SP Energy Networks , responsible for maintaining the substation, has since revised its health and safety policy. Tina, a resident of Mobberley and mother of two, has received neither an apology nor compensation from Scottish Power. She stated: “There was not a lot we could do prior to the inquest. Because of the complexity of the case and involvement by HSE and the police that delayed things and we had to wait two years for the inquest. “My solicitors have been in touch since the inquest with Scottish Power sending paperwork, but basically there has been silence. As a result my solicitors have had to put the matter back into the courts. “I believe that Scottish Power now has 28 days to respond after they were put on notice of our intentions. If that fails we will have to apply for a court date, which is unlikely to be before autumn next year. This would drag it out for another 12 months. “The inquest was over three days with a jury and the conclusion was that they (the power company) ‘more than likely contributed to the death of Blair’ due to the lack of maintenance.” Three reports had been made about the need to clear ivy from the pole – including one in August 2022 – and Blair died in October that year. A report in 2021 had indicated dense ivy vegetation and the urgent need for action. All hazard warning signs were obscured. “It was an accident that could have been totally avoided if they had done their job. Three separate inspections were taken out of a three year period, all documented, all ignored. Yet on the afternoon of the accident they went and cleared the ivy from the pole. They have now completely removed the substation, it is no longer there.” The HSE did not prosecute. “Even though the warning signs were not visible there was no legal time frame for the issue to be rectified after the report was made. “Twelve months after the inquest I have received no apology, no response, and no compensation from Scottish Power.” Tina, who works full time to support her two children, said: “The situation is ongoing and it is really stressful. My son is six and my daughter is 10 and they are very much dependent on me. “My parents live in Shropshire and Blair’s family are in New Zealand. I work for a dentist and I am fortunate to be in a job where there is some financial security. I am surrounded by an amazing network of friends and neighbours who help me with the kids. “Blair was my soul mate. We met while I was in New Zealand and he decided to move to the UK to be with me. After that, we were inseparable and couldn’t wait to spend our future together. “I’ll never forget the feeling when I was told that he had died. He’d gone off to work as normal and said it was only a half day so I didn’t expect it was a big job. To this day, I still wake up hoping that it’s all been a terrible nightmare.” A representative for SP Energy Networks stated: “The policies and procedures implemented by SPEN as part of its overall management of electrical apparatus are subject to review on an ongoing basis to take account of relevant regulatory or legislative changes, and any incidents on our network. “Those policies were reviewed and updated following this incident, and significant resource continues to be invested to ensure the regular inspection and maintenance of our assets. “As was reported to the HSE, SPEN places a great deal of importance on promoting a safe system of working internally within its organisation, with a view to ensuring so far as possible that members of the public are safeguarded against risks to their health and safety. We remain saddened by Mr Campbell’s death and send our deepest sympathies to his family.”