A CASE against a factory where a 13-year-old boy was involved in a serious accident had to be abandoned after it was revealed the company was dissolved in March.

Arshad Hussain, who was a director at the now defunct Accrington Chair Fillings Limited, based at Pioneer House, Horne Street, had pleaded guilty on behalf of the company to failing to take measures to prevent access to dangerous parts of machinery at a hearing in October last year.

Hussain did not attend Hyndburn magistrates for the hearing yesterday.

Prosecuting on behalf of the Health and Safety Executive, Warren Pennington, told the court that there was an accident on January 10 last year where 13-year-old Asim Ali, of Richmond Road, Accrington, got his arm stuck in a carding machine.

The boy suffered a broken right arm, a broken finger and thumb and also lost a large amount of skin from his arm.

The court heard that Asim Ali was visiting a 17-year-old friend who works at the factory and is one of Hussain's younger brothers.

Asim Ali was on the premises as a one-off visit and was left alone for a short time by the 17-year-old. Asim Ali was unknown to the company director. Magistrates were told that Asim Ali went into the carding machine room where the machine was left running and unattended.

He suffered the injuries after falling into the machine, which had rollers covered in spikes.

Mr Pennington said the machine did not have the required locks on the guards. There was no evidence that Asim Ali was employed at the factory, the court was told.

Mr Pennington said that the company was no longer trading under that name and had dissolved on March 6 this year due to non compliance by failing to submit company accounts.

He confirmed that work was still going on in the building but as there was no Accrington Chair Fillings Limited at this moment there was nobody to sentence.

Magistrates ruled that the case was not proceeded with rather than record a guilty plea with no fine given as requested by Mr Pennington.