FAMILIES of four men from west Suffolk who died in an industrial accident are pleased progress is being made in achieving memorials to remember them by.

Brothers Thomas, 26, and Daniel Hazelton, 30, and their workmates Peter Johnson (PJ), 42, and Adam Taylor, 28, from Stanton and Rickinghall, died in an accident in Great Yarmouth in January last year.

The Four Friends Memorial Fund, which was launched by the East Anglian Daily Times in liaison with the men’s families, reached more than �35,000 thanks to generous donations.

While plans for a memorial in Rickinghall – in the form of two benches, three trees and a plaque – have been moving swiftly along, progress had slowed down in Stanton for a memorial of four chairs around a central sculpture.

But now Stanton Parish Council has said it is prepared to add the memorial – which would be on Havebury Housing Partnership land – on to its insurance. Parish council chairman Kelvin McDonald said there would be a one-off cost to cover 10 years which the parish council may be able to help fund.

Marilyn Hazelton - mother to Tom and Daniel - said they were “very pleased” with this news. “To be honest we are all pretty desperate to get it done really. It’s been going on a long while. It will just be nice to see it now, especially as so many people put so much into it.”

PJ’s sister Judi Freeman said they certainly wanted the memorial to be in place by the two-year anniversary of the men’s deaths.