The worker at Islip Furnace industrial estate in Kettering Road, Islip, was so badly injured that his arm had to be amputated.

A second man who suffered similar injuries did not lose his arm but is still undergoing operations to repair the damage.

Paul Richard Llewellyn James, 58, of Cranford, admitted two breaches of the Health and Safety At Work Act 1974 when he appeared at Northampton Crown Court. He was also ordered to pay £17,500 in court costs.

Sentencing Mr James, Judge Charles Wide said: "It is perfectly clear to me you had a slap-dash approach to safety. These very serious matters amount to cost-cutting for profit."

The court heard that Mr James was a director of James Environmental Ltd when both incidents occurred.

The first happened on August 26, 2006, when employee Zeke Mabbutt, from Burton Latimer, was cleaning near an unguarded roller on a conveyor
belt.

He had been instructed by Mr James to put his hand in between the belts on the conveyor and scoop out rubber debris sticking to the roller while the machine was running.

When reaching into the conveyor to clean the roller, Mr Mabbutt's right arm was drawn in by the belt and was crushed as it was forced around the roller. His arm had to be amputated just below the shoulder.

On October 3 the following year Mr Mabbutt's replacement at the firm, Danny Bedford, reached into the conveyor belt by the roller to clear some shredded tyre because he had seen Mr James and other employees clear debris in this way.

The guard which covered the roller was not properly fixed and as Mr Bedford reached in to snatch the debris out, his arm was pulled in by the belt. Although Mr Bedford did not lose his arm he is still having treatment for his injuries.

The Health and Safety Executive brought the case to court.

Principal inspector Neil Craig said: "Paul James' blatant disregard for health and safety has had disastrous consequences for these two young men.

You would think that after Mr Mabbutt's accident he would have made sure that it would not happen again."

Mr James put the company into voluntary liquidation three days after the case was committed to crown court.