Fighting back tears, Liliana Alexa, who has campaigned tirelessly since her son Michael’s death in September 2006, said: "The thing I can’t get out of my head is that one minute he was with us and the next he was gone.

"Living without him is like being incarcerated and chained but we thank God for giving us such a wonderful son.

"My son was a happy, peaceful and lovely young man. He loved to make mechanical things and wanted to be a racing driver.

"His son was born in 2005 and he was looking forward to spending as much time as possible with him.

"He didn’t have that chance as his life was taken away so soon."

Mrs Alexa added: “When we heard about the possibility of an unlawful killing verdict, we thought it might lead to prosecution.

“But then this morning it was taken away and so did the hope we had.”

Mr Alexa’s father, Duru, added: “This is five years of our lives, and we are back to square one. There has been no justice – they always seem to rule in favour of the big company in inquests like this.”

Angela Bredy, Mr Alexa’s partner and mother of his son Joshua, said: “I didn’t get to say goodbye to him because of the appaling injuries he suffered.

“In our short life together we shared a lifetime of love.”

A union representative, advising the family, told how Mr Alexa ushered a group of children away as the crane began to fall but could not escape himself.