Inquest forced into bridge death

Four men died when the gantry collapsed

Legal action has forced a coroner to hold an inquest on a man who fell to his death with three other workers from a bridge near Bristol.

Paul Forrest, coroner for the County of Avon, had previously ruled that a hearing was unnecessary because the companies involved had been prosecuted.

But legal action by the family of 24-year-old Paul Stewart who came from Newcastle upon Tyne, has now forced the turnaround.

Three other men, Ronnie Hill, 39, from Glasgow; Jeff Williams, 42, from Newport in Gwent, and Andy Rodgers, 40, from Middlesbrough, died in 1999 after falling 80 ft from a gantry on the Avonmouth Bridge.

Finally I can get to the bottom of how this tragedy took place

George Stewart

In November 2001, Yarm Road Ltd and Costain Ltd, were ordered to pay a total of £1m after pleading guilty to health and safety offences.

Mr Stewart's father, George Stewart, started legal proceedings at the High Court to force the coroner to hold an inquest.

He said: "I am delighted there will finally be an inquest into the death of my son where witnesses can given evidence and I can ask questions.

"Finally I, and the other families, can get to the bottom of how this tragedy took place, who was responsible for the deaths and what lessons can be learnt for the future."

Clare Collier, from the Public Law Project, which acted for Mr Stewart, said the coroner's original decision not to hold an inquest was unlawful.

The men were working to strengthen the bridge

"It is unfortunate that Mr Stewart had to instruct a lawyer and issue court proceedings before the coroner could be persuaded to carry out his duty," she said.

David Bergman from the Centre for Corporate Accountability, said: "Inquests provide the only forum for a family to find out how their relative has died.

"It will provide an opportunity to determine whether decisions by the HSE not to prosecute any individual managers or directors were correct, and whether an unlawful killing verdict is appropriate"

Solicitors for the coroner said he had accepted specialist counsel's advice on the issue.