THE BOSS of a Southampton man killed in a vat of paint has told an inquest he feels no responsibility for the accident despite admitting to failing to ensure his safety in court.

Peter Preston was fined £5,000 after pleading guilty to the breach of health and safety legislation in Winchester Crown Court.

But during a Southampton inquest into the horrific death of Christopher Shute, 30, he avoided saying whether he admitted the offence only to evade a more serious charge of manslaughter, which was dropped.

Mr Preston and Paul Mackenzie were convicted of the offence as bosses of contractors Philip Services Ltd, who installed and ran a swimming pool-sized paint vat at Ford's Swaythling Transit van factory.

In August 2000, Mr Chute, of Winchester Road, fell through an open lid in the roof of the tank and drowned in the hot paint below.

Yesterday, the first day of the city inquest into his death which is scheduled to last all week, saw extensive questioning centred on the health and safety measures in place.

Mr Preston, of Blackburn, was responsible for health and safety at the EPOC paint system but the inquest heard he had no qualifications in that area.

The nine-strong jury was also told there had not been a risk assessment for workers going onto the roof of the tank.

But Mr Preston said: "Access to the top of the tank was never perceived as being a risk. People far more knowledgeable than me never picked up on it being a risk at all."

James Bell, counsel for Mr Chute's family, who plan on launching a civil legal action following the inquest, told Mr Preston 'You were out of your depth'. Jonathon Laidlaw, counsel for Ford, asked Mr Preston: "Do you feel you have any responsibility at all for the events that led to the death of one of your employees?"

"Not when I look back," he replied. Southampton coroner Keith Wiseman also heard Mr Preston admit he had been slow to react after a similar accident just 16 days before the one which killed Mr Shute.

Cleaning contractor Patrick Finlay fell into the vat through another open lid but survived because it was only half full of paint.

The hearing continues.