A GWENT father who helped survivors of the M4 coach crash was killed in a motorcycle accident on the day before his wife gave birth to their son.

Now the family of Daniel Conlin, one of the men who helped survivors of the 1995 coach crash in which pensioners on a bus trip died, are calling for safety to be reviewed on the road where he was killed near Usk.

And they say bikers should be made more aware of their safety. Mr Conlin, a 29-year-old baker, died after hitting a wall on his 750cc Suzuki motorcycle at the B4598 near The Chainbridge on May 7 - just 24 hours before his third child was born.

His wife Vicky named their son Ethan Daniel James in memory of his father.

Ethan was born at Newport's Royal Gwent Hospital on May 8 weighing 7lbs 13oz.

Mr Conlin's family are still trying to come to understand how a man who took safety so seriously could have died in the accident.

Mrs Conlin, 27, of Leechpool, near Caldicot said: "He was laughing as he was going out and I reminded him to put on his stuff.

"I hugged him and kissed him and told him to be careful because we had a baby coming.

"He said: 'Don't worry, I'll be back at two'. I just can't believe what happened.

"He spent a fortune on equipment. He always stressed how important it was to have the proper equipment.

"He had body armour and everything and he always made sure the bike was properly maintained."

Mr Conlin ran the Bell House bakery in Magor Square and was a popular figure in the area. He was a keen diver and belonged to a diving group based at Fairwater in Cwmbran.

His mother, Mrs Rosina Conlin, 49, said: "We could not have wished for a better son. We were so lucky to have a son like that.

"He was respectful to his family, he wanted the best for his children." Mr Conlin's father, Charley, 56, said: "He was well loved by everyone. He would have made an ideal diplomat - he got on with everyone no matter who they were."

Mr Conlin said his son had made arrangements for the following day for his two other children, five-year-old Shannon and three-year-old Kitty. "He had plans for the Tuesday. He had arranged to take the girls to school. He had taken the Monday off because he wanted a break."

Around 500 people attended Mr Conlin's funeral at St Mary's RC church in Bulwark, Chepstow. Many had to stand outside the packed church.

The family have thanked friends, local priest Father Peter Collins, staff at the Royal Gwent Hospital and Gwent Police family liaison officer PC Stuart Stirling for their support at a time of "unbearable heartache". The family requested donations to the Royal Gwent's special care baby unit and around £1,000 has been collected. Collections are continuing at shops in Magor Square.

Now, Mr Conlin's mother says there should be "more awareness" of the approach to the corner where Mr Conlin's bike came off the road. She said: "There should be more awareness of the approach. If there had been a fence there rather than a wall, who knows?"

Mr Conlin senior said Monmouthshire council's highways department should look at the area and others where there was the potential for walls to turn accidents into tragedies.

He said: "Maybe highways should look at it and replace it with collapsible fencing.

"The wall at Crick (on the A48) near the Shirenewton road sticks in my mind. There are a number of safety factors there."

The family have also urged other motorcyclists to take advantage of the Bike Safe initiative being run by Gwent Police.

Mrs Vicky Conlin said: "He did all the courses, anything like that and he would have gone on something like this."

Mr Conlin senior said his son had become more aware of safety after they were among the first on the scene at the coach tragedy on the M4 near Chepstow in 1995 in which a number of pensioners were killed. He said: "Daniel was the first to phone the emergency services but his mobile went.

"He went into the coach to help. There was a ton of glass that was acting like marbles and making it difficult for the paramedics. We helped clear a pathway.

"It was a terrible scene and it affected Daniel deeply and made him even more conscious of safety."

For more information on Bike Safe contact Gwent Police on 01633 838111 or www.bikesafe.co.uk