A Worcester mining supply firm is facing criminal charges over a breach of health and safety law after the death of a miner in Yorkshire.

Joy Mining Machinery, of Bromyard Road, Worcester, was due before Pontefract Magistrates Court in West Yorkshire this morning after mining equipment fell on miner Ian Cameron in October 2009.

The 46-year-old was killed at the Kellingley Colliery in North Yorkshire, where earlier this week miner Gerry Gibson died after a roof collapse.

This latest death is not related to Joy Mining’s court appearance.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is bringing a prosecution against Joy Mining and the pit’s owners UK Coal.

Joy Mining is charged with failing to supply the equipment’s operators with up-to-date information on how to use the equipment, under Section 6(1)(d) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.

UK Coal is charged with a breach of Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.

In a separate prosecution, UK Coal is to be sentenced in October for breaching health and safety regulations relating to the deaths of four miners at pits in Coventry and near Mansfield, Nottinghamshire.

Kellingley, which is on the border of North and West Yorkshire, is the largest remaining deep mine in Yorkshire.

Its two main shafts are almost 800 metres deep.

It supplies local power stations and produces household coal.

A statement on Joy Mining’s website says it has “the world’s largest and most extensive aftermarket service and support infrastructure of any underground equipment supplier”.

“With more than 240 service engineers around the world, our customers have a tremendous depth of technical resources they can rely on,” it says.