AN investigation was under way after a man was found dead at a power station, near Selby.

Father-of-two Andy Bason was found by workmates in a building at Eggborough Power Station at about noon yesterday.

He was pronounced dead at the scene despite desperate attempts by the station's first-aiders to resuscitate him.

It is understood that a stairwell collapsed inside the building, known as the precipitator house.

The precipitator "scrubs" flue gas and removes particles before it is released into the atmosphere via the chimney stack.

British Energy, owners of the coal-fired station, today set up an internal panel of inquiry to look into the circumstances surrounding the incident.

Top level managers were brought in from other sites and from the company's headquarters, in Glasgow.

Health and safety inspectors have also launched their own investigation and were also on site today.

Mr Bason, 42, from Askern, near Doncaster, had worked at Eggborough for about four years.

He was a general worker for contracting firm, Hornsby's, who carry out civil engineering works at Eggborough.

Colin Wiblin, the station's assets manager, said: "Our sympathies go out to Mr Bason's family and friends."

A British Energy spokesman said: "We will work closely with any external inquiries."

He said that staff involved in the incident, including the contracting team, were allowed to leave work yesterday.

A spokeswoman for the Health and Safety Executive, in Leeds, said: "We are doing an initial investigation and one of our inspectors is on site today."

North Yorkshire coroner Geoff Fell said today: "I haven't received the post-mortem results yet. As soon as I do, I will open and adjourn the inquest and release the body to the family."

Yesterday's tragedy was the second fatality at Eggborough Power Station within a year.

In July last year a 54-year-old man was found dead after falling while working inside the station's 600-ft high chimney stack.

Updated: 12:13 Wednesday, July 30, 2003