An inquest was opened yesterday into the deaths of four Gwent men who died when their car plunged into a quarry.

Jack McGee, 47, from Aberbeeg, was killed along with Shane Powell, 29, from Trevethin, Pontypool, 21-year-old Alex Williams and 19-year-old Karl Devlin, both from Newport, when the BMW they were travelling in left the road at Swffryd, near Crumlin, and plunged into Monk's Quarry on October 20.

The inquest at Newport heard that the cause of the men's deaths has still not been established, as reported in later editions of yesterday's Argus.

Gwent coroner David Bowen adjourned the inquest for three months and authorised the release of the bodies so that funeral arrangements could be made.

Experts are still examining the wreckage of the BMW following the 100-foot plunge.

And detectives are still trying to establish the connection between friends Mr Devlin and Mr Williams and the two other men in the car.

The BMW was specially adapted for driver Mr McGee, who was a paraplegic. The investigation is believed to be centring around the special controls that had been installed.

This week the Argus revealed that Mr McGee's 22-year-old daughter still does not know her father died as she is recovering from a severe brain injury.