Cannon accident man Martin Bibbings has dropped an appeal against his conviction for breaching health and safety laws following a tragic incident at Castle Howard.

The Evening Press revealed last month that Bibbings, 45, of Felixstowe, Suffolk, had decided to appeal against the court decision over the accident which left his sister maimed.

The case was due to be heard in York sometime next year, but Robin Rawson, a senior Environmental Health Officer for Ryedale District Council, who investigated the case and gave evidence during the trial, has now confirmed the appeal had been dropped by Bibbings.

"The appeal is no longer going to take place," he said.

"Mr Bibbings has dropped it. He lodged the appeal in the 21 days after the trial on all three counts. We heard he dropped two counts and carried on with the third but we have now found out he has dropped that as well."

Bibbings' convictions followed a prosecution pursued by Ryedale District Council in October at Pickering Magistrates Court.

He was found guilty of failing to provide a safe place of work, failing to make a suitable risk assessment and failing to give adequate information and training - charges springing from the Castle Howard drama.

His company, the Trafalgar Gun Company, had supplied cannon used in a Last Night of the Proms event at Castle Howard on August 22, 1998.

A cannon being operated by his sister Mary Dunnett, 49, of Norwich, misfired, removing three of the fingers on her right hand and leaving her with facial burns.

Bibbings, who had faced a maximum fine of £60,000, was fined £1,500 after magistrates heard he had debts of around £15,000 and that his company had had difficulty finding business since the accident.

During the trial, the court heard evidence from many expert witnesses who described the technicalities of loading and firing a cannon. It also transpired that Bibbings had no public or liability insurance.

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