Roadie Dies After Fall

The death of a roadie before a performance by Pop Idol winner Will Young has left the singer "shocked and saddened".

The stage hand, a man in his 40s, received serious injuries to his face and head when he fell backstage at Young's open-air gig at Rochester Castle in Kent on Thursday night.

He was pronounced dead at Medway Maritime Hospital and a post-mortem test will be carried out this week.

The day after the death, Young said: "I am shocked and so saddened by last night's tragic accident before the Rochester show. I was unaware of the seriousness of the incident until after I left the stage. My deepest sympathy goes out to the bereaved family."

A police cordon was put up around the scene at around 6pm. Before the gig got under way, witnesses were urged to come forward in an appeal over the public address system. Police said the death is not suspicious.

Medway Council's Robin Cooper said: "We can confirm that the ambulance, police and Health and Safety Executive were called on site immediately after the accident happened. An investigation into this tragic accident is ongoing and we have no further information available at the moment."

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David Urpeth at Law firm Irwin Mitchell said: "This was a tragic work accident, the circumstances of which will be fully investigated. Falls from height remain a major category of serious and fatal injuries following an accident at work."