A DERBYSHIRE haulage firm has been fined £27,000, with £29,284 costs, after a teenager nearly lost an arm when a faulty fork-lift truck crashed into a lorry trailer.

A court heard that 17-year-old mechanic Martyn Coope was at the controls of the vehicle, although he had not been trained to operate it.

He had been asked to help load biscuits on to a trailer at the William West Distribution unit at the TDG depot, on Cat and Fiddle Lane, West Hallam.

But the fork-lift truck – which had poor brakes – ran into the lorry and Mr Coope was trapped by the left arm.

Workmates heard his shouts and saw a two-inch hole in his arm, with the bone visible.

He spent five days in hospital and was unable to work for three months until December 2007. Mr Coope, of Wellington Street, Heanor, now has a job with another company.

Bernard Thorogood, prosecuting for Erewash Borough Council, said that before the accident, Mr Coope reported that "the brakes were poor'' and he had to use the hand brake to stop it.

William West Distribution admitted failing to ensure safety of persons not in its employment (fined £20,000); failure to provide adequate training (£3,500) and failing to ensure fork-lift trucks could not be started by unauthorised persons (£3,500).

District Judge John Stobart said there was a lack of training and supervision. "These practices were potentially lethal,'' he told Nottingham Magistrates' Court.

Mr Coope, who is now aged 19, is seeking compensation in the civil courts.

The judge added: "It may not be any comfort to him but it was only by good luck that the accident was not more debilitating or fatal.''

Toby Stewart, for the firm, said: "The defendants have sought to ensure an accident such as this does not happen again. It is extremely regrettable that this happened.

"The fork-lift truck was serviced and the brake was only 60% operational. It is not clear whether the brakes played a part in the accident."

Outside court, Mr Coope's mother, Angela, said surgeons initially feared his arm might have to be amputated. But they managed to save it with skin grafts, a metal pin and plate.

She said: "He has regained 97% of the use of the arm and recently passed his driving test. He doesn't talk much about it and, because of the skin graft, he will not go out without a T-shirt."