Friends and family of two men who died in a crane accident four years ago gathered in Battersea on Friday to honour their lives.

Michael Alexa and Jonathan Cloke died on September 26, 2006, when a crane collapsed onto a block of flats in Thessaly road.

Mr Cloke was the crane driver, while Mr Alexa was fixing his car below when he was crushed.

Since then, the Battersea Crane Disaster Action Group has campaigned for cranes to have better safety measures to prevent more deaths.

In April, a new law came into force to ensure that all tower cranes must be registered with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

This week, the men’s families opened of a garden and memorial plaque in the spot where they died.

Mr Alexa’s mother, Liliana, said: “The permanent memorial will be a sign of recognition for two innocent young lives which vanished in seconds.

“Whatever we campaign for will never be enough because so many other people are still killed in construction site accidents.

“We must be sure that the Government takes this matter very seriously.”