Two workers were engulfed in a huge fireball after cutting through live electrical cables on an industrial estate in Telford, a court heard.

Eamonn Osborne, 53, and David Rawlins, 46, suffered burns to their hands, arms and faces and had to be airlifted to hospital after cutting through the live 1,000-volt electrical cable in Halesfield. The hearing was told Mr Osborne was so badly hurt doctors feared for his life.

Birmingham firm RVB Investments UK Ltd and manager Clifford Leigh appeared at Telford Magistrates Court yesterday to face a Health and Safety Executive prosecution after the incident in August last year.

The firm admitted breaching health and safety regulations and was fined £10,000 and ordered to pay £4,420 costs. Clifford Leigh, also from Birmingham, admitted similar charges and was fined £2,000 and ordered to pay £1,000 costs.

The court heard Mr Os-borne and Mr Rawlins had been told to find a water leak at an empty industrial unit owned by the company at Halesfield 5.

Mr Leigh instructed them to dig at a spot outside the unit. Using an electrical drill, they drilled nearly 40cm into the ground until they hit a live 1,000-volt cable, the court heard.

The court heard the estimated power of the fireball was equivalent to 4.3 million watts of energy.

HSE principal inspector Nic Rigby said its investigation found RVB Investments had not assessed the risks involved, devised a safe system of work or obtained site plans to check for electrical cables underground.

He said Mr Osborne and Mr Rawlins also received no training about the dangers.

Speaking after yesterday’s hearing, Mr Rigby said: “All employees, such as Clifford Leigh, have a responsibility to ensure they take reasonable care for the safety of their fellow employees when making decisions about how work should be carried out.

“RVB Investments UK Ltd and Clifford Leigh failed to do this.”