THE SISTER of a Merseyside factory worker who died after being turned into a human fireball last night said she would fight on for justice after the company was fined just £3 for a series of health and safety breaches.

Christopher Knoop died and three other men were badly burnt when flames ripped through Aintree-based North West Aerosols.

Yesterday a jury at Liverpool Crown Court took just half an hour to find the firm guilty of breaching two health and safety laws by failing to protect its employees.

But Judge Graham Morrow QC was only able to impose the “absurd and unreasonable” fine of £1 for both charges, and £1 towards costs, due to the fact the company is now in liquidation.

He told victims of the blaze a £250,000 penalty would have been the “starting point” if the company was still profitable.

However, four months after the devastating fire the company was voluntarily handed over to liquidators.

Last night Mr Knoop’s sister Christel Stewart said: “It’s just a joke. There is no justice.

“I will not let this rest and I intend to fight on, not just for the sake of Christopher but for all the other employees who are put at risk by results like this.”

The aerosol company now has just £284 in its accounts and the liquidators have been forced to write off at least half their costs.

Simon Parrington, prosecuting, told the court the company “has no assets and never will have any assets”.

He added the hope of any fine being paid was “essentially a dead duck”.

But the HSE decided to press ahead with a prosecution.

And yesterday HSE principal investigator Keith Morris said he was pleased with the outcome, despite legal costs of nearly £18,000.

He said the victims and their relatives had wanted a prosecution, while the trial would also act as a warning to other companies.

Mr Morris said: “It has not been possible to impose a proper penalty but because of their failings a man died, others were injured, and around 50 people lost jobs.

“It is a warning to other companies of what can happen if they don’t comply with HSE regulations.”

No-one from the company attended the hearing and one director now lives in Spain.

But Judge Morrow said the blast had been “an accident waiting to happen”

At 7.45am on December 13, 2005, liquid petroleum gas leaked into the factory and ignited, creating a fireball.

Cans of aerosol exploded in the fire and were jettisoned around the factory and over Hanson Road.

Former merchant navy man Mr Knoop, 50, of Anfield, and three of his colleagues – Gary Brine, Kevin Armstrong and Graham Ryder, were all engulfed in flames.

Mr Knoop managed to make it to an office, but died from his injuries.

His three colleagues survived, but suffered serious burns, rolling under conveyor belts and fleeing the factory shedding their clothing.