THE mum of a Barry man whose death has seen a construction company fined £2.6 million has called the result "justice".

James "Ginger" Sim, 32, died in April 2010 when the trench he was working in collapsed on top of him

Mr Sim, who was working as a subcontractor for LD Oliver on the construction site in Lancaster, died despite frantic efforts from workmates to save him.

At Preston Crown Court last week - more than six years after the accident- Balfour Beatty Utility Solutions admitted three offences under health and safety legislation. They were fined £2.6 million for the failings which contributed to the death of Mr Sim.

Speaking after the case, Mr Sim's mum Julie Williams, spoke about the long road it had taken to see the day.

"It just brings closure," said the mum-of-four. "It's been a long six years, we can try to get on with our lives now.

"No amount of money is going to bring him back. we just hope that people in the industry take note.

"When I looked up figures on the internet I saw that there have been 11 more deaths in trench accidents in the UK after James died. This shouldn't be happening in this day and age."

Mrs Williams, of Morlais Street, Barry, also reiterated her thanks to Mr Sim's workmates who desperately tried to save his life in the immediate aftermath of the accident.

Preston Crown Court heard about the harrowing moment his colleagues, who had shouted a warning at him when a vertical crack appeared in the trench, saw a chunk of clay collapse onto him and strike his neck and back, virtually burying him.

The workers frantically tried to free him by hand and with a digger, but he was trapped beneath the rubble for around 40 minutes, starving him of oxygen.

He was eventually flown by air ambulance to the Royal Lancaster Infirmary where he was placed on life support.

But, on April 23, he died after contracting pneumonia and remaining unresponsive.

Prosecuting, Adrian Farrow said: "He was involved in duct laying within a trench. That trench had been excavated by a mechanical digger. The trench collapsed on him and caused injuries from which he did not recover."

He added: "The work was delayed by the need to obtain a licence for the protection of newts in the area. The effect was the defendant company required an additional workforce to progress the work, so arrangements were made that LD Oliver would take some of the work on their behalf."

Both Mr Sim's mum and dad, Tony, also from Barry, attended the hearing at Preston Crown Court and were tearful as the Honorary Recorder, Judge Mark Brown, asked for the family's statements on the impact of his death to be summarised in court.

In one, his brother Nathan said he had to break the devastating news of the accident to his family before facing a long drive north to Lancaster.

The court was also told how his family made the brave decision to allow Jamie's organs to be donated to help others when doctors said there was nothing more they could do for him.

The court heard how six days before the accident, engineers e-mailed a report to Balfour Beatty highlighting the narrowness of the trench, and that it was showing signs of caving.

The prosecution say this should have served to highlight a number of issues including the caving in of the trench wall."

Witnesses had previously told an inquest the trench appeared to be too narrow, and the inquest also found significant safety oversights contributed to his death.

Defending the firm, Mark Scoggins said it was not a case of deliberate or reckless failure, but oversights by a number of individuals.