E.W. Pepper Ltd, of Wyndmere, Steeple Morden, Royston, Hertfordshire, pleaded guilty during a hearing at Stevenage Magistrates' Court on Wednesday.

The accident happened at Bury Farm, in Melbourn, Cambridgeshire.

The Health and Safety Executive case related to the firm's failure to use trained staff to drive forklift trucks.

The company was also criticised for failure to control access to forklift trucks.

We know forklift trucks can be dangerous and recently we have seen several serious accidents with them HSE inspector David Head

The breach of health and safety law was brought to the HSE's attention when Hungarian employee Ezther Nagy, 20, died from injuries sustained when a forklift truck, on which she was riding, overturned on 17 July 2002.

A subsequent investigation found the company had poor control over access to its forklift trucks, with particularly poor control over access to ignition keys.

HSE inspector David Head said he hoped this prosecution would send a message out to all employees to prevent this type of accident happening again.

"We know forklift trucks can be dangerous and recently we have seen several serious accidents with them," he said.

'Tragic consequences'

"It is very important that firms make sure only trained and authorised staff drive them.

"Failure to do this can lead to tragic consequences, as with this case where a young woman sadly lost her life.

"Whenever something like this happens it hits a lot of people."

In court the firm was also ordered to pay �11,500 in costs.