THE third worker to die at Kirkby's Sonae factory since Christmas has been named as Dennis Kay.

Dennis Kay, 62, was killed after being crushed by industrial machinery.The contractor was part of the demolition team working on areas destroyed by a major fire.

The latest death at the site, on Knowsley Industrial Estate, had led to some locals beginning to call it ‘cursed’.

It is is believed he brushed the controls of a cherry picker crane he was using as he leaned over the cage, sending it up into a rolled steel girder, crushing his head and body.

Police, fire and ambulance were called to Sonae which makes chipboard for kitchens, shortly before 11am on Saturday.

A rescue team reached Mr Kay from the Heywood area of Greater Manchester but he was declared dead at the scene.

Bosses at Sonae have been under increasing pressure since the death of two workers in December who were killed after being dragged into silo machinery and the huge fire which raged there for eight days in June.

Neighbours have long claimed foul smelling odours from the site are bad for their health, though no link has ever been proven.

The Health and Safety Executive health have said they had been called to 22 serious incidents in 10 years including fires and an explosion.

The weekend tragedy led to renewed calls for the factory’s closure.