By Kelly Williams,Neal Keeling

Copyright dailystar

A grieving widow is preparing to take legal action against a major utility company following the tragic electrocution of her husband while he was trimming hedges. Blair Campbell, a 35-year-old gardener, lost his life when he accidentally severed a wire connected to a substation. The heartbreaking incident occurred three years ago this week, and Blair’s widow, Tina, claims she has yet to receive an apology or compensation from SP Energy Networks – a subsidiary of Scottish Power – who were responsible for the operation of the substation . She now intends to initiate civil proceedings against the firm, seeking damages for the untimely death of her husband. An inquest held last year revealed that Blair, originally from New Zealand, had relocated to the UK and established his own business, Blue Kiwi Gardens and Maintenance, in Mobberley, Cheshire, around 2020. However, while tending to hedges at a local residence, Blair suffered a lethal electric shock after coming into contact with wires attached to a pole-mounted substation on 3 October 2022. Despite being airlifted to hospital, he tragically passed away shortly afterwards, reports the Manchester Evening News . The inquest, conducted at Cheshire Coroner’s Court, heard that the substation’s pole structure had been heavily obscured by thick ivy at the time of the incident. The jury was informed that this dense foliage had entirely concealed the necessary warning signs, leaving Blair oblivious to the potential hazards. The court also noted that prior to Blair’s fatal accident, several reports highlighting the need to remove the ivy had been ignored. In the wake of this devastating event, SP Energy Networks, the entity responsible for maintaining the substation, has since revised its health and safety policy. Tina, who lives in Mobberley with her two children, revealed she had received neither an apology nor compensation from Scottish Power. She explained: “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.” ‘His death could have been totally avoided’. There had been three separate reports flagging that the pole required ivy clearance – including one issued in August 2022 – with Blair tragically losing his life in October that same year. A 2021 report had highlighted dense ivy growth and stated that urgent intervention was needed, yet all the danger warning signs remained 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 opted against bringing any prosecution. “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 added: “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.” An SP Energy Networks representative 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.”