A COURT has heard that the two men who died while fetching apples from an oxygen-deprived storage container at Blackmoor Estate were "encouraged" to enter the dangerous environment by manager Andrew Stocker.

Mr Stocker, 57, the former boss of victims Scott Cain and Ashley Clarke, is alleged to have told staff to hold their breath while entering the coolers, which had an atmosphere of just one per cent oxygen – a practice known colloquially on site as "scuba diving".

Mr Stocker denies two counts of gross negligence manslaughter.

For full story, see this week's Petersfield Herald.