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Young dad-to-be dies after roof fall

7/ 5/2008

A YOUNG dad-to-be plunged 50ft to his death as he fitted a TV aerial, just days before his first wedding anniversary.

Stuart Shockledge, 27, fell five storeys from the roof of a sheltered accomodation block on Palatine Road, Didsbury.

The former Hartshead High School pupil lived in Stalybridge with wife Sarah, who is six weeks pregnant with their first child. The couple were due to celebrate their first wedding anniversary on Monday.

Sarah said her husband, who worked at Astbury Digital in Ashton, had been delighted at the prospect of becoming a dad.

Stepmum Jannine Shockledge said: "We just can’t believe he has gone.They had only been married a year and he was looking forward to the future.It is so tragic. He had a big family and was loved by everyone who knew him."

She added: "Stuart was a very special person who touched a lot of people. I can’t believe how many people have left messages about him on Facebook —there are names there that I don’t even remember. He was a big Manchester City fan and loved to go out for a drink with his mates."

Stuart was fixing a communal aerial on a sloping roof when he fell to the ground. He was pronounced dead at hospital.

The Health and Safety Executive has launched an investigation into the incident.

Tom Brown, managing director of Astbury Digital, said his company would ‘fully co-operate’ with the HSE and was to launch its own internal investigation.

"This is a terribly sad time," he said."Our thoughts are with Stuart’s family, friends and workmates."