THE family of a boy, who died in a quarry accident while building a den, is suing the site's owners.

Rescuers tried desperately to save nine-year-old Jordon Gibson after a 14ft-high mound of sand collapsed on top of him at Chilton quarry, near his home in Ferryhill, County Durham.

PC Keith Philpott and a paramedic were also buried as they tried to save Jordon, but were freed by colleagues.

The sports-mad youngster had gone to the quarry in June 1996 with two other boys to build a den.

They dug three holes in the mound before the roof and walls collapsed trapping Jordon.

Jordon's family is now suing the owners of the quarry, Tarmac Products Ltd, claiming the company breached their duty of care.

They claim the amount of fencing was "lamentable", that there should have been a security guard on duty and the disused mound should have been pulled down before the accident happened.

Yesterday, at Newcastle County Court, Jordon's parents, Arthur and Debbie Gibson, told the hearing that they did not expect their son to ever play in the quarry.

Paul Rose, the family's lawyer, said an inquest had recorded a verdict of accidental death on Jordon.

Mr Rose went on to say the quarry had ceased excavation in November 1995 was being used to stockpile sand and gravel.

He said: "The accident happened in the southern part of the quarry where there was a large sand mound, about 14ft high.

"Jordon and two friends had been building dens in the sand mound about 8ft up and tragically the sand over them collapsed on Jordon,"

After the accident happened, one fire officer described the incident as the worst he had ever had to deal with.

A second landslide buried PC Philpott and a paramedic, but they survived in an air pocket long enough for colleagues to frantically dig into the sand.

Jordon's friends, Paul James, then 11, and Gavin Jefferies, then ten, escaped the accident and raised the alarm,

And, despite the valiant efforts of police, fire brigade, and paramedics, Jordon later died in hospital.

The case continues