A SOUTHAMPTON boat owner was responsible for the death of employee who died in a catastrophic blaze at a city boatyard, a court heard today.

Krisztian Takacs was smelting lead inside a half-built yacht belonging to Philip Wyman, 61, at Smith's Quay boatyard in Woolston in August 2005.

Winchester Crown Court was told that Wyman had inherently unsuitable equipment for the task which resulted in a fire that killed Mr Takacs, 26, a Hungarian, who died of smoke inhalation.

The blaze caused a massive fireball explosion that hurled the top of a propane gas cylinder some 300 metres from the scene.

Wyman, formerly of Raneleagh Road, Weymouth, denies manslaughter and two breaches of Health and Safety regulations.

Christopher Parker QC, prosecuting, said: "The prosecution say in a sentence that a young man a Hungarian, Krisztian Takacs was killed in a fire inside a boat belonging to this defendant.

"The fire was caused by the gross negligence of this defendant in operations he set up, or at the very least a neglect in the form of a breach of duty as an employer.

"In a nutshell the defendant denies any negligence gross otherwise."

The trial before a seven man and five women jury is due to last two to three weeks.

(proceeding)