THREE men were cleared of manslaughter after a four-week trial collapsed at Cardiff crown court today.

Craig Rees, 26, of Williamstown, Rhondda, died after a 42-inch wide water main burst at the Welsh Water pumping station near Prioress Mill, near Usk, on May 26, 2006.

Gary Sanford, 46, of Buttercup Court, Ty Canol, Cwmbran, Colin Hughes, 41, of Dormington Drive, Hereford, and Jeffrey Reed, 35, of Shannon Street, Aberbargoed, had all denied gross negligence manslaughter.

Mr Rees was a labourer, employed by David Lewis Construction Ltd, a civil engineering firm contracted to replace water meters by United Utilities Operational Services, who were employed by Welsh Water to run the site.

Mr Hughes and Mr Sanford were employed by United Utilities and Mr Reed was a site agent for David Lewis Construction and Mr Rees’s line manager.

Mr Rees was trying to repair leaks on the water meter when he died.

Prosecutor Winston Roddick told the court after reviewing the case the Crown Prosecution Service were going to offer no further evidence.

Mr Justice Pitchford QC directed jury members to record not guilty verdicts for all three men.

A CPS spokesman said after the hearing: "We have an ongoing duty to review the evidence in each case to ensure that the tests set out in the Code for Crown Prosecutors continue to be satisfied. In this case, as a result of evidence given by a prosecution expert witness, it became apparent that there was a conflict of evidence which rendered the prosecution case unsustainable."