Overview
- The deceased was identified as 45-year-old Nicholas Milburn through fingerprint analysis at the University Hospital of North Tees.
- A crane operator on line three spotted the body in a claw full of waste at SUEZ’s Haverton Hill facility in Billingham.
- Cleveland Police were called at about 1:45pm on September 24, 2025, and the site was closed for investigation.
- The crane was lowered and site operations were halted as procedures for an on-site death were enacted.
- The inquest opened on January 13, 2026 before Area Coroner Paul Appleton and was adjourned with no date yet set for the next hearing.