A NEWPORT man and three workmates could be alive today if their employer had not "ignored" a previous accident with a gantry, a court heard yesterday.

The four men died when the gantry they were working on came off its rails at Avonmouth, Bristol.

Jeff Williams, aged 42, of Llanthewy Road, Newport, and his three colleagues, Paul Stewart, Andrew Rogers and Ronald Hill, from Glasgow, Newcastle-upon- Tyne and Middles-brough, respectively, fell to their deaths from the gantry under the Avonmouth Bridge, on September 8, 1999.

Two companies who have admitted Health and Safety breaches in relation to the incident - Costain and Yarm Road - were due to be sentenced today. Philip Mott QC, prosecuting, told Bristol crown court there had been a serious incident on February 2 the same year when a wheel on one of the gantries dropped off the end of its runway.

He said this was a warning to them to improve training and monitoring of gantry use, but added: "The reality was that it was ignored and no measures taken to ensure it could never happen again."

Mr Mott said there were no adequate restraints to stop gantries coming off the rails and no guidelines for workers to follow.

He said: "The risk of the trolley coming off the end was not only ever-present, but one which would inevitably have severe consequences and fatal results."

Hugh Carlisle QC, defending Costain, said improvements to safety had not been carried out through a lack of foresight rather than for pecuniary advantage.

He said there had been a suggestion that Costain failed to heed warnings, but he said this was not the case.

The new chief executive of the Costain Group, Stuart Doughty, took the stand and apologised to the families of the victims and said the company was working closely with the HSE.

Wynn Williams QC, representing Yarm Road, said his client should be judged by their attitude to the incident.

He said they had offered "all possible co-operation" in relation to the investigation and making the necessary improvements following the incident.

Mr Williams added that they had pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity and held "a genuine and deeply felt sorrow and regret at the events which occurred."

He said a genuine attempt had been made to provide a proper system of working, but he could "not be so charitable about the attempts made to implement the system."

*PICTURED: The damaged gantry.