THE body of the last of four miners trapped in a flooded mine near Swansea has been found, police said tonight.

Phillip Hill, Charles Breslin, David Powell and Garry Jenkins went missing when Gleision Colliery near Swansea became flooded.

Peter Vaughan, Chief Constable of South Wales Police, said: "We've tried to bring this safely to its conclusion. Unfortunately the conclusion we have is the one none of us wanted."

The discoveries of the bodies dashed hopes that any of the men may have found refuge in an air pocket following the accident.

Expressing his condolences to the men's relatives, Mr Vaughan said: "I can't begin to imagine what the families are going through.

"Messages of support have poured in not just from the public in Wales but from people all over the world," he said.

He went on: "We've been humbled by the community spirit that's been shown during this most tragic of incidents."

The authorities will now switch from conducting a search and recovery operation to carrying out an investigation, he said, asking that the privacy of the families be respected.

He also thanked national politicians for the support they had shown.