A bus company has been ordered to pay £54k and a cleaning firm was fined £1k after a worker was killed at a bus depot in Hemel Hempstead.

Arriva and Cordant Cleaning Limited (also known as C.L.C Realisations Limited) were penalised for a fatal accident involving Albin Trstena, a 25-year-old from Tottenham, on November 5, 2019.

Mr Trstena, while on duty for the cleaning company, was hit by a reversing bus coming out of the wash down area.

In a statement read at St Albans Magistrates’ Court, Mr Trstena's sister Albina said how his death had been devastating for their family.

She said: "When we received the news Albin had died, we were left devastated and our whole world came crashing down around us.

"His presence at home was so alive - Albin would always do lots for the family, but not just for the family, he gave of himself and would always help other people where he could.

"He was a brother and son to be proud of."

A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation discovered that Arriva and C.L.C Realisations Limited had failed to assess the risk involving vehicle-pedestrian conflict adequately and did not implement an apt system of work to manage this risk.

The inquiry also found inadequate measures to safeguard pedestrians from moving vehicles at the depot and proper utilisation of walkways within the yard perimeter.

C.L.C Realisations Limited, based in Leeds, presently in administration, did not enter a plea but was convicted for breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, resulting in a £1,000 fine.

Sunderland-based Arriva Kent Thameside Limited pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and was ordered to pay £32,000 in fines and £22,392 in costs.

Roxanne Barker, HSE inspector, said: "This tragic incident led to the avoidable death of a much-loved young man.

"There was a failure to undertake safety measures to segregate vehicles and pedestrians.

"They also failed to properly consider who was responsible for determining and implementing suitable measures to ensure safe working practices when contracting out some of the activities performed within a shared workplace."