A father and son building team from Pembrokeshire have been awarded a high commendation at a national building awards ceremony in London.

Nick Fountain and son Robert of Blaenffos were highly praised in the category of Best Local Builder or Traditional Cratsperson at the Local Authority Building Control (LABC) Excellence Awards Grand Final – one of the most recognised events on the building industry’s calendar.

A panel of industry experts judged a list of the highest quality projects from around England and Wales to reward the best in technical innovation, sustainability and design.

The specialist stonemasons had already won the All Wales final in October.

Nick Fountain has been a self-employed contractor for over 40 years with experience in all aspects of stone masonry.

He has been joined in the last 15 years by his son, Robert, who has benefited from his father’s considerable experience and knowledge in this age old skill.

They consistently produce work of an exceptional standard, which has earned them a reputation for quality across the whole of south west Wales.

LABC Chief Executive Paul Everall said: “Nick and Robert Fountain provide a personal, friendly and professional service with priority being on quality workmanship tailored towards the client’s and contractor’s needs.

“They are able to adapt their style of work to suit the type of stone being used, or to satisfy any requests on specific details for aesthetic purposes.

“A number of authorities endorsed Nick and Robert and remarked on their excellent work, which is precisely why they fully deserved their high commendation”.

Over 600 building industry professionals including contractors, architects and engineers attended the celebration to find out which projects were honoured the 13 hotly contested categories.