Yorkshire-based Thomas the Baker has been fined £7,191.45 following an incident that left a worker with several broken fingers.

Last February (2015), the worker had his hand pulled into a pastry lid maker. The machine had undergone modifications to improve its operation, including the removal of parts of its guard system.

The bakery pleaded guilty to breaching sections 11 and 14 of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations. It was duly fined £6,500, plus £691.45 in costs at Northallerton Magistrates’ Court.

HSE inspector Julian Franklin said: “Modifying machines should always involve a reassessment of the safety of that machine. Guard checking routines should be periodically audited to ensure they remain effective.”

Thomas the Baker recently announced it had raised over £64,000 for charity.