THE concrete wall which collapsed, killing a builder working at the home of Hampshire Cricket was not being supported in the usual way, a jury heard.

Phillip Carsley was crushed at the Ageas Bowl when two sections of a wall fell on top of him without warning, killing him within minutes.

Yesterday, Winchester Crown Court heard how the three-tonne structure, which formed part of the new west stand, was not being secured in the normal way.

Steve Whittaker, a senior member of the six-strong team sent to the site in West End, by concrete specialist Prefix Limited, told how throughout his 17-year career such newly-erected walls were always secured by wooden props, held in place by screws driven right the way through the middle of them.

But he said the firm’s boss Ian Gould, who is being tried for manslaughter, told his men to use a different method.

This new method, to use U-shaped metal sleeves to keep the props in place instead, was an idea he admitted was “something he had thought of over the weekend”.

Mr Whittaker told Winchester Crown Court he initially thought the idea was a joke, adding: “I thought it was a bit tongue in cheek.

“Things get tested and I thought ‘that can’t be right’.”

The jury also heard yesterday how Mr Carsley, 34, had secured the job as a labourer at the Ageas Bowl because he and Mr Whittaker were friends.

“I had known Phillip through socialising and football mainly,” he added.

As previously reported, Mr Carsley was killed on February 8, 2010, his first day working for Prefix Ltd, after more than a year without work.

He was discovered by his colleagues, with his legs trap-ped beneath the toppled structure.

A crane was used to free him but he was not breathing when paramedics arrived.

Ian Gould, 53, sole director of Prefix Limited, of East Riding, Yorkshire, denies manslaughter by gross negligence and a breach of the Health and Safety at Work Act.

Andrew Scott Ltd, of Port Talbot, South Wales, denies two breaches of the same legislation.

Proceeding.