AN investigation into the death of a rail worker from Burnley who died after he was hit by a maintenance vehicle has been launched.

Father-of-five David Pennington, 46, of Cog Lane, died after he was getting off an engineering train in Cannock, Staffordshire, at about 4.30am on Tuesday.

Yesterday the vehicles involved in the accident were removed from the scene and the British Transport Police started their investigation.

A post mortem examination is due to take place tomorrow in Cannock, and an inquest into the death of Mr Pennington will be opened. Mr Pennington was working for engineering sub-contractors VGC, repairing track when he and a colleague, Martin Oates, of Sheffield were killed.

Four other workers were taken to hospital suffering from severe shock.

Mr Pennington, who was days away from celebrating his 47th birthday lived with his second wife Carole and three children Carrie 19, Ashley 12 and Leon,11 .

He also had two children, Stephen, 24, and Louise 22, from his first wife Shirley, who died in a house fire 20 years ago, along with his eight-month-old daughter Joanne.

Chief Inspector Colin Edwards of the British Transport Police said the cause of the accident would not be known for weeks. He said: "The inquiry is now up and running and will take a couple of weeks to complete.

"The vehicle involved in the accident has now been taken away from the scene and will be inspected by the Health and Safety Executive."

The incident prompted the Rail Maritime and Transport Union to renew calls for the maintenance to be brought back under central control.