Didcot recovery operation branded 'national scandal'
It's being labelled a 'national scandal' that two Rotherham workers are still trapped in the wreckage of Didcot power station – six months on from the day it collapsed.
It's being labelled a 'national scandal' that two Rotherham workers are still trapped in the wreckage of Didcot power station – six months on from the day it collapsed.
Ken Cresswell and John Shaw never returned home when the boiler house at Dicot A power station in Oxfordshire collapsed in February while they were carrying out demolition work there. They remain trapped at the site alongside a third man, Chris Huxtable from Wales.
The body of a fourth man - Michael Collings from Teesside - was recovered at the time.
Today, Rotherham MP Sarah Champion has expressed frustration the men still haven't been found: “It is a national scandal that six months on their grieving families are still unable to bury their loved ones.
“The families of the men killed have been through immense psychological torture; firstly not being informed for hours that it was their loved-ones who were missing, then a three week halt on the recovery and another pause for weeks while it was decided how to bring down the remaining structure.
“The families have had to fight to keep the recovery on track, they should never have been forced into this position. They are as much victims of this disaster as their men who died. Once the men are home, there will be serious questions to be answered by all those involved and I won't rest until I get satisfactory answers.
“It is completely unacceptable that these men, carrying out their work in good faith, have paid with their lives. The Health and Safety Executive must review its procedures and regulations where demolitions are concerned. Demolition work can of course be dangerous, but every effort must be made to ensure the safety of workers and to prevent similar incidents in the future. If we don't learn from this disaster we are failing to honour the men who died.”
The men's families have previously staged peaceful protests at the site in Oxfordshire calling for recovery work to be stepped up. Speaking to Hallam there, Ken's daughters said all they wanted was for their dad to come home.
Last month, a remote-controlled explosion brought down the remaining part of the decommissioned structure.
Site owner RWE Npower said in a statement: "We understand that the time taken to locate Ken Cresswell, Chris Huxtable and John Shaw has been deeply upsetting for their families.
"Now that the building has been brought down an inspection has confirmed that the area and debris pile are safe and our contractors have resumed the recovery operation.
"We will continue working seven days a week 12 hours a day to help return these families' loved ones to them as soon as possible."
Thames Valley Police says the ‘absolute priority’ remains the recovery of the missing men so they can be returned to their families.
The building - which was due for demolition when it partially collapsed - was previously too unstable to be approached and a 50-metre exclusion zone was set up around what was left of the building.