New fencing at quarry deaths site

The four men died instantly when the BMW plunged into the quarry

Repairs are being carried out to a fence damaged when a car crashed through it and plunged down a south Wales quarry killing four men inside.

Workers are erecting steel railings at the side of the B4471 Swffryd Road between Llanhilleth and Hafrodrynys.

Alex Williams, Karl Devlin, and Shane Powell and driver Jack Magee all died in the crash in October 2004.

However, Blaenau Gwent Council said the new fencing was part of planned maintenance and not a crash barrier.

Workers are installing the new fencing at the side of the road in Swffryd, near Crumlin, and it is expected to be completed within the next week.

"Work is in the final stages of replacing approximately 300m of fencing with 1.2m high steel railings, and reconstructing the adjacent footway along the B4471 Swffryd Road, in line with planned maintenance," said a council spokeswoman.

The maintenance work has cost £49,000.

On 21 October 2004, Mr Magee, 47, of Aberbeeg, Blaenau Gwent, was driving a BMW when he lost control of the car and smashed through a concrete barrier and down a near-vertical slope at the disused Monks quarry at Swffryd.

Work is underway to replace the existing fencing

Mr Magee, Mr Powell, 29, from Pontypool, Mr Williams, 21, from Newport, and Mr Devlin, 19, also from Newport, all died instantly.

An inquest in May 2005 heard how Mr Magee had consumed opiates and cannabis before the crash.

However, the coroner said he could not be sure that the drugs had affected Mr Magee's driving and he recorded verdicts of death by misadventure.