A COMPANY director who is accused of hampering an investigation into alleged health and safety breaches has been released on bail by a judge.

Nilesh Chavda appeared at Swindon Crown Court charged with perverting the course of justice after it was said he may have deleted CCTV recordings.

And the 36-year-old and his family’s company N&B Foods Ltd also face a series of health and safety matters, in a prosecution brought by the borough council.

The allegations relate to health and safety inspections carried out at a warehouse at Oak House on the Rivermead Industrial Estate between November 25, 2014, and January 21, 2015.

It is said he failed to maintain an up-to-date health and safety policy for fork lift truck operations, lone working in a freezer and the use of a man-up cage and harness.

The warehouse is also alleged to have had inadequate lighting, mechanical lifting arms were not certified as complying with regulations and damage to racking in the warehouse was neither reported to an appropriate person nor repaired.

Other charges relate to no risk assessments being in place for the storage of red diesel in the premises’ garage and inadequate training of fork lift truck drivers and their supervisors.

The count of perverting the course of justice relates to the alleged deleting of CCTV recordings of the warehouse and a denial by Chavda that anyone in the company had access to the recordings.

No charges were formally put to Chavda, of Rosedale House, Purton Road, or the company, and they did not enter any pleas.

Judge Tim Mousley QC adjourned the case to Friday, February 24.

The defendant is the son of the owner of N & B Foods Ltd, a food and drink wholesaler.