A FATHER who fell 50ft down a lift shaft in a shopping centre last week has died in hospital.

Paul Dolphin, 34, of Grange Park, suffered a fractured skull and broken ankle and ribs when he fell at Newlands Shopping Centre in Kettering, Northamptonshire, last weekend.

The former Hreod Parkway student, who was a director at Swindon-based subcontractor Superior Access Solutions Ltd, had been in Walsgrave Hospital in Coventry for nearly a week when he died on Friday.

A spokesman for the owners of Newlands shopping centre said: “It is with regret that the owners of Kettering’s Newlands Shopping Centre, P R Kettering Ltd, can confirm the death of a contractor working on site.

“The cleaning contractor, Paul Dolphin, suffered an accident on April 22 and was immediately transferred to hospital. Regrettably, his death has since been confirmed by the hospital.”

Acting on behalf of the centre’s owners, P R Kettering Ltd, Mark Robinson said: “First and foremost this is a human tragedy and our thoughts and sympathies go out to Paul’s family at this most difficult time.”

Emergency services attended the scene after the father-of-one fell at about 2.45pm last Sunday.

Three teams of firefighters helped to free him from the basement of the shaft and the centre was closed while he was treated.

Mr Dolphin, who worked for Swindon Council for five years during the early 1990s, was airlifted to hospital after two air ambulances arrived at the scene.

A spokesman for Kettering Council said an investigation had been launched into the incident.

“We can confirm that Kettering Borough Council is conducting a health and safety investigation under our statutory powers,” he said.

“Given the ongoing nature of the investigation, however, it would be inappropriate for us to comment further at this time.”