A STEELWORKER died after being crushed as he carried out maintenance work on machinery at a Newport plant.

David Price, 54, became trapped below the waist as he carried out the work on a roller at the Alpha Steel plant, shortly after 10am on Saturday. Police and an ambulance crew were called to the scene, and a crew of firefighters also attended, to free Mr Price from the machinery.

But there was nothing paramedics could do and Mr Price, who was from Newport, was pronounced dead at the scene.

All production at the plant on Corporation Road, which recycles scrap metal and makes steel billets, has been halted as a result of the tragedy. The Health and Safety Executive have been informed of the death and are now conducting an investigation.

A spokeswoman for the HSE said: "We are aware of the incident and we have an inspector looking into it."

Inspector Mark Wheatstone, of Gwent Police, said: "At 10.12am we received a report from the ambulance service that a man had been involved in an accident at Alpha Steel.

"All emergency services were in attendance. There it was found that a man was trapped in machinery below the waist.

"He was sadly pronounced dead at the scene. "It appears he was carrying out maintenance work at the premises, involving a roller which formed part of the machinery."

Inspector Wheatstone added: "The HSE were contacted and are currently carrying out their own investigation into this matter, which is standard practice in any industrial accident."

A fellow worker from the Alpha Steel plant, who asked not to be named, told the Argus he could barely believe the tragedy had taken place. "I am totally shocked about what has happened," he said.

No-one from Alpha Steel was available to comment.