A UK marquee maker has been fined GBP5000 (USD9603) after one of its forklifts ran over a sunbather in a park, south of Edinburgh.

The Scotsman newspaper reported Field and Lawn (Marquees) Ltd admitted in court to flouting health and safety laws during the accident, which happened when it was preparing for the Fringe Sunday event at the Edinburgh Festival in August 2003.

The sunbather apparently did not hear the forklift moving towards him because he was listening to music.

He suffered a broken collarbone, three broken ribs and a punctured lung as the forklift, carrying construction materials, rolled over him.

Field and Lawn, whose clients include Wimbledon and the London Marathon, pleaded guilty in the Edinburgh Sheriff Court for failing to provide an enclosed area for forklifts to operate in and failing to ensure a worker walked ahead of the vehicles at all times.

The incident was investigated by city council environmental health officers who compiled a report for the procurator fiscal in Edinburgh.

A city environmental and consumer services spokesman said: "We are committed to ensuring the city is a safe place. This investigation demonstrates that we will not hesitate to prosecute companies who put the safety of residents at risk."