A man’s body was found amidst waste at a recycling facility in Billingham by a crane operator, identified as Nicholas Milburn. The discovery was made on September 24, 2025, leading to the suspension of operations at the Haverton Hill recycling centre for a police investigation.
The deceased individual was positively identified as Mr. Milburn through fingerprint analysis at the University Hospital of North Tees, according to police sources. A post mortem examination revealed that the provisional cause of death was “chest injuries,” as reported by Teesside Live.
During an ongoing inquest into the incident, it was disclosed that the crane operator, while working at the Haverton Hill recycling plant, used a remote-operated claw to pick up waste from line three, only to find the body of the deceased male. Following this grim discovery, all site operations were halted as a precaution.
Cleveland Police indicated that the 45-year-old man’s death was deemed non-suspicious after a Home Office Post Mortem examination. The inquest has been adjourned without a set date for the next hearing.
