A WEIGHTLIFTER has died after suffering severe head injuries in a weightlifting accident in Tilbury.
YourThurrock understands that the incident happened at Musclemania in Calcutta Road, Tilbury on October 7th.
Tony Leigh, 47, is thought to have been lifting weights on a bench press when a bar slipped and hit him in the face
The father-of-two was in intensive care for six days but died last week at Basildon Hospital.
Mr Leigh, a former soldier, ran the Flex Appeal gym in Whitstable, Kent, and had also worked as a bodyguard for the Dubai royal family.
Mr Leigh helped train others and competed in strongman competitions, coming second in the South East heat of Britain’s Strongest Man in 2005.
He is mentioned in a chapter in Kate Kray’s book Hard B**stards II as Manchester Tony.
A spokesman for Essex County Council said the coroner had been notified of Mr Leigh’s death but an inquest had not yet been opened.
