31.07.2026

Andrew ‘Andy’ Sutliff 1962-2026

We have received the tragic news that UK crane and access veteran Andy Sutliff of crane rental company NMT has died.

He passed away on the 17th of July at the age of 63, just a few weeks shy of his 64th birthday, He leaves behind his wife Pam and two sons, Thomas and Toby.

After leaving school, Andy trained as a carpenter before joining his father at the contractor Lorne Stewart but then spent a few years working as a professional diver and scuba diving instructor.

He met his wife, Pam, and, as he would always tell it, “got a proper job with PTP aerial platforms”. Over the next five years, he learned a great deal about the access industry and the equipment and was delighted to be offered a position at major rental company Charles Wilson (CW) in 2004.

He became an IPAF instructor and was renowned for his problem solving abilities, as is acknowledged by CW’s managing director David Gallagher. He says that he remembers Andy every time he drives through the Hatfield tunnel, since Andy had recommended the right machines for the job and put together a first rate system for taking down the large fans for servicing.

He particularly enjoyed working with Charles Wilson, co-founder David Wilson, building links with the film and TV studios, and among the many films he worked on are the Harry Potter series, James Bond -007, Pirates of the Caribbean, Robin Hood and many more.

He always worked long hours and eventually decided that his daily commute to London was unsustainable as he got older. He therefore accepted a position at NMT in 2017, with the yard being only six miles from home.

Tim Ambridge of NMT said: “They say that as boys grow up their toys just get bigger and that was certainly the case at NMT as Andy developed his knowledge of cranes. He was able to maintain his links with the film studios and further expand the NMT client base as media operations manager.”

“He loved meeting new people and making friends and was totally committed to his work. I am sure that many will have individual memories of hanging Christmas lights or of the contraptions he invented to hang lighting rigs and screens safely off machines.”

In recent years he has suffered from a number of health issues but continued to be dedicated to the industry and the work he loved. He continued to work until May when he was taken into hospital due to progressive respiratory issues. However, he remained determined to get back to work and typically downplayed the severity of his problems.

“He fought to the end and will be fondly remembered by family, friends and colleagues. A loving husband and father who doted on his family and is recognised for his commitment and inspirational problem solving within the construction industry,” said Ambridge.

Andy Sutliff’s funeral will be held at St Mary’s Church, Stevington, MK43 7QB on Friday the 7th of August at 14:30, immediately followed by the interment of his ashes. Attendees are then invited to raise a glass or two in his memory at the family home.