A tree surgeon has been fined £5,000 after an employee suffered severe injuries when his trouser leg was caught in a tree stump grinder.

Davyd Dyer, 30, suffered terrible injuries to his right leg when his employer Richard Curteis left the machine running without being at the controls.

Mr Curteis, trading as Aspen Tree Services, was prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) over the incident last September.

Maidstone Magistrates Court heard the men were at an address in Bearsted, removing around six tree stumps of old conifers.

Mr Dyer, from Gravesend, walked in front of the unmanned stump grinder carrying a sheet of corrugated metal. His trousers got caught on the rotating cutting head of the stump grinder and pulled his leg into the moving parts of the machine.

He suffered a broken leg, severe muscle injuries and was in hospital for several weeks. He needed several operations to reconstruct his leg. He may never be able to work as a tree surgeon again.

The HSE investigation found Mr Curteis left the machine running while not at the controls, did not have suitable training in the safe use of the machine and did not follow a safe method of work.

After the hearing, HSE inspector Paul Vinnicombe said: "The serious injuries sustained by Mr Dyer show how hazardous the equipment used in the tree surgery profession can be, and the life-changing effects that an injury can have.

"All those involved in tree work and grounds maintenance must ensure they have received the relevant training in the safe use of their equipment and remain vigilant when using it."

Mr Curteis, of Boughton Monchelsea, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3(2) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.

He was fined £5,000 and ordered to pay full costs of £3,679.