A MAN in his fishing boat has described how he saw an explosion which rocked a Southampton boatyard killing a young worker.

Eyewitness Dale Murphy told Winchester Crown Court how he had seen the craft burning as he passed by.

Krisztian Takacs, 26, suffered fatal injuries and died inside the 48ft craft when it caught fire.

Philip Wyman, 61, denies the manslaughter of Mr Takacs, a Hungarian national, at Smith's Quay boatyard in August 2005.

Wyman, of Ranelagh Road, Weymouth, also denies lesser charges of breaching health and safety regulations.

The court has heard that Mr Takacs had been melting lead inside the boat when the fire started.

On the second day of the trial, Mr Murphy told the court how he had supplied lead to Mr Wyman which he wanted for the keel of his boat.

The day after the lead was collected Mr Murphy said he was on his fishing boat in the River Itchen and was approaching Smith's Quay.

He said: "I was about half a mile down the river when I first saw the fire. My attention was first attracted by the smoke and fire. As I got closer the fire got worse.

"It went off in a sort of explosion. I saw the fire carrying on burning."

The trial, before a seven-man and five-woman jury, is due to last up to three weeks.

Proceeding