THE company contracted to build new schools in Waltham Forest has spoken for the first time about two convictions for breaking health and safety laws.

Bouygues was last week fined £18,000 after a carpenter working on Frederick Bremer school in Walthamstow suffered fractured collarbone and ribs in a 5 metre fall in 2007.

The company was also fined £160,000 on Monday after an employee was killed when he was hit by a reversing vehicle at a school in Barking.

Bouygues said: “The events that took place at Barking in 2005 and Waltham Forest in 2007 are deeply regrettable.

“As a construction organisation Bouygues UK is committed to health and safety at every level and has undertaken a thorough investigation of the health and safety processes employed across the company to prevent this kind of event from happening again.

“In both cases, Bouygues UK has co-operated fully with the Health and Safety Executive and will continue to do so for all health and safety matters.“