Allegedly, the clip released and Hart - in front of a cheering crowd of 17,000 and watched by a pay-per-view TV audience of millions - crashed to his death 78ft into the ring below.

According to a report in the Portsmouth News on September 25, Hart's family sued 13 organisations over the star's death, including Lewmar and the WWE. However, the suit against Lewmar was dropped after the family decided the company and its product was not to blame for the accident.

The family then reached an out of court, $18 million settlement with the other 12 organisations.

But the WWE felt Lewmar had a part to play in the accident and instituted a reimbursement claim for some £11 million against the Havant company.

According to The News report, Lewmar told its UK sales staff not to sell the company's products for anything other than yachting in 1996. But this instruction, claims the WWE attorney Craig O'Dear, never reached the US sales force.

Lewmar CEO Arthur Macmillan is quoted by TheNews as saying the quickrelease hook was not made to be used in stunts and he was confident the company had done nothing wrong. "?. we don't agree with anything the WWE is claiming, " he said.

Robert Hill, group sales and marketing director of Lewmar, told BB he was unable to comment on the proceedings.