A HAULAGE firm was fined £27,000 after a teenager nearly lost an arm.

Nottingham Magistrates' Court heard that 17-year-old mechanic Martyn Coope was at the controls of a faulty forklift truck which crashed into a lorry trailer, trapping his left arm.

Although he had not been trained to operate it, he had been asked to help load biscuits onto a trailer at the William West Distribution unit at the TDG depot on Cat and Fiddle Lane, West Hallam, on September 26, 2007.

Mr Coope spent five days in hospital.

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

William West Distribution admitted failing to ensure safety of persons not in their employment; failing to provide adequate training; and failing to ensure fork lift trucks could not be started by unauthorised persons. It must pay costs of £29,284.

District Judge John Stobart said: "These practices were potentially lethal."

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

Toby Stewart, for the firm, said management were "not aware" that Mr Coope had been allowed to use the fork lift truck without training.

Outside court, Mr Coope's mother said surgeons initially feared his arm might have to be amputated. They saved it with skin grafts and metal implants.