THE Health and Safety Executive is to issue a warning to a fairground owner after he breached regulations at Dorset's greatest crowd-puller.

The Daily Echo has been handed photographs that show men at the Great Dorset Steam Fair working 50ft above the ground with no safety harnesses and no helmets.

Other photos show men underneath a dangling construction slab with no safety gear.

But organisers have vigorously defended their safety record.

Steam Fair boss Martin Oliver was "surprised" when he saw the pictures and immediately contacted the contractor concerned.

"I have spoken to him and he holds his hands up to it," said Mr Oliver. "Yes, he was a naughty boy - he should have been wearing a harness.

"We were not happy. I will be sending him a letter and a copy to the Health and Safety Executive.

"We're so safety conscious - we have got a health and safety policy, we do risk assessment education courses - everyone has to sign to say they've done one. Our own insurers came down to inspect us.

"We wouldn't be able to function with the show if we didn't do it properly. We have got a very good safety record up here."

Roger Frost for North Dorset District Council was also concerned to see the photos which he said he would forward to the Health and Safety Executive.

"I visited the site on the Wednesday with three Health and Safety Executive inspectors," he said.

"They were constructing the Ferris wheel and the guy did have a safety harness. That would have been about an hour after the photo was taken.

"I have received only one complaint relating to health and safety this year," he added.

A spokesperson from the HSE said the contractor had admitted not wearing safety gear when going to the aid of colleague.

"We will be taking further steps on this and he will receive a warning letter," she said.

Gary Gore of Gore and De Koning, the company in question, said: "We are looking into this incident. The HSE was on site and they were quite happy - I don't know what's gone wrong."

First published: Sept 18