Carl Lowery, 41, was left with severe burns after an accident while working on a new apartment block in Hulme Street, Salford, in May 2020.

An electric flash blew him backwards, leaving his face and arms burnt. He also needed a skin graft from his thigh.

Mr Lowery was the father of Bradley, who became a mascot for both Sunderland and England after he was diagnosed with rare cancer neuroblastoma when he was just 18 months old. Bradley died aged six in 2017.

Manchester Magistrates' Court was told by Mr Lowery, in his victim personal statement, that "even when Bradley was poorly I worked," and "I've not been able to work since the accident either, mentally or physically".

He added: "My left hand is my dominant hand and after the accident I had no grip, I had to try and learn how to use my non-dominant hand."

Mr Lowery was working alongside a colleague at SRE Cabling and Jointing Limited, which was sub-contracted by Aberla M&E Limited to carry out cabling and jointing works on the new apartments at the time of the accident.

Aberla was then prosecuted after a Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation. The Bolton firm admitted breaching Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act.

The company was fined £40,000 and ordered to pay £20,000 in costs at the court on 14 March, the HSE said.

HSE inspector Lisa Bailey said that the accident "had life-changing consequences for Carl and his family", and added "it could have been avoided if the company had actively monitored and managed procedures, to identify risks and prevent incidents".

"Working with electricity is a high-risk activity and safety must be a priority," it added.

"Proper planning to ensure that risks are eliminated at system design stage is essential."

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Since the death of Bradley, Mr Lowery and his wife Gemma have been working on the Bradley Lowery Foundation, which helps the families of sick children get access to treatments not available on the NHS.

Bradley formed a close bond with his beloved team's striker Jermain Defoe, who was captain of Sunderland at the time. He called Bradley his "best mate".