The investigation into an explosion at Wessex Water’s treatment works in Avonmouth that killed four workers, including a 16-year-old boy, is ‘extremely complex’ and still not near completion - more than 800 days after the tragedy.
The fatal blast killed Luke Wheaton, Ray White, Brian Vickery and Mike James on December 3, 2020, but more than two years and two months on there still has been no formal inquest, no criminal charges relating to the incident have been brought and no inquiry has yet been convened.
Now, Avon and Somerset police has acknowledged the length of time it is taking and described the situation as 'not ideal’, but said they were ‘committed’ to providing the ‘answers the families deserve’ and said they are in regular contact with the families of those who died, keeping them updated on the progress of the investigation, even if that progress is not being shared with the public.
Read more: The Avonmouth Four: How family and friends are creating a lasting legacy
The four workers who died were Luke Wheaton, 16, from Bradley Stoke; Ray White, 57, from Portishead; Brian Vickery, 63 from Clevedon and Mike James, 64, from Bath. They were killed when they were working on the roof of a silo at the Wessex Water treatment plant in Avonmouth, Bristol, and it exploded.
Little information has emerged from the investigation in the 800 days since the fatal blast, with three organisations - Avon and Somerset police, the Health and Safety Executive and Wessex Water - involved in the inquiry to work out what happened, why it happened and whether anything that happened reaches the threshold that could trigger any criminal charges.
In the aftermath of the blast, the grieving families of the four who died paid tribute to their loved ones, asked for respect for their privacy and have made no further comments publicly about the ongoing investigation. Instead, many of the relatives have got involved in fundraising and other projects to honour their loved ones and create a lasting legacy for them.
Wessex Water has declined to comment on the ongoing investigation over the past two years and two months, saying they are assisting in that investigation. But colleagues of the four who were killed, and union representatives, have spoken to both Bristol Live and the Bristol Cable, expressing frustration at the length of time the investigation is taking, and - in December 2021, a year after the blast, to express their upset that the slow pace of the investigation meant an examination of the wreckage of the silo had still not been completed, so it was still in situ at that time.
Another year and another two months have passed since then, and there is still no next stage to the investigation - be that any criminal charges brought by either the police or the Health and Safety Executive, or an announcement that there will be no charges so that a report into the deaths can be published, and the inquests, which were opened and immediately adjourned, can have a date set for resumption.
Avon and Somerset police still hold primacy in the investigation, and a spokesperson for the force said they understood the frustration that there had been no next steps as yet.
“We fully understand the public interest in the deaths of Luke Wheaton, Ray White, Brian Vickery and Mike James,” he said. “What happened on December 3, 2020 was truly tragic and we, together with the Health and Safety Executive, are committed to doing everything we can to provide the answers their families deserve.
“Specialist family liaison officers remain in regular contact with all of them and continue to keep them fully updated on any significant developments. We don’t underestimate how difficult the past couple of years have been and my thoughts and all those of my team remain with them,” he added.
Since the tragedy it has emerged that the men were working on the roof of a silo that contained bio-solids, recycled organic matter like food waste and animal waste, that was being broken down into agricultural fertiliser. The four are understood to have been working with angle grinders on the roof, and it is thought that a spark from that work may have ignited a build up of methane gas in the space at the top of the tank underneath their feet.
While the cause of the blast could be straightforward to explain, the complexity comes from investigating how this was allowed to happen, and the detectives on the case have had to call in waste industry experts and scientists to analyse information from the site and also the very complex workings of the silo and the relevant health and safety and industry guidelines and laws.
One of the key questions around the tragedy is the presence or otherwise of a flame arrester, a device that stops sparks from entering a tank or space which could contain gas. Avon and Somerset said the sheer complexity of the issues was a key factor in the length of time it was taking.
“Inquiries of this kind are extremely complex and require the support of other agencies to help us gather all the evidence we need,” a police spokesperson told Bristol Live. “Once all the evidence is gathered, we then often need the assistance of a variety of experts to help us interpret it and develop a full understanding of what happened.
“We’re aware a lengthy investigation isn’t ideal for those affected but it’s crucial we gather all the relevant material, and unfortunately, this can take a considerable amount of time,” he added.
While the police are leading the investigation, detectives are relying on assistance from the Health and Safety Executive, the industry itself and from Wessex Water for scientific expertise. If any criminal charges are ever brought over the deaths of the four, it will also involve the Crown Prosecution Service and require a high, ‘beyond reasonable doubt’ threshold before any person or organisation ends up in court.
A spokesperson for the Health Safety Executive said: “We continue to assist Avon and Somerset Police with their enquiries, including specialist scientific support.”
Read more:
- Avonmouth explosion tragedy: councillor calls for greater regulation amid concerns over industrial area
- 'Taken too soon' - the families pay tribute to the Avonmouth four
- Avonmouth explosion one year on: Major Crime inquiry continues
- Avonmouth silo wreckage causes grieving workers 'daily upset'
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