Call for power station collapse inquiry after delay

Demolition News editor Mark Anthony said there was still "absolutely no sign" of the case being resolved

A petition has called for a public inquiry into why the investigation into the deaths of four demolition workers at Didcot Power Station is still ongoing after eight years.

In February 2016, part of the site's old boiler house collapsed and killed Ken Cresswell, John Shaw, Michael Collings and Christopher Huxtable.

Demolition News editor Mark Anthony, who started the petition, said there was still "absolutely no sign" of the case being resolved.

Thames Valley Police said the investigation "continues to make continual and effective progress".

John Shaw, Christopher Huxtable, Michael Collings and Ken Cresswell (clockwise from top left) died in the collapse

Family members of the victims have described feeling "forgotten" and finding it "really hard" to endure the delays around the investigation.

Sadie Cresswell, the daughter of Mr Cresswell, said the family had not "ever fully grieved" and would not be able to "until justice is reached for him".

Mr Anthony said police and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) had been saying "exactly the same thing on every anniversary since the third".

"We all know exactly what happened, the evidence is there, and if there is a smoking gun, it does not take you eight and a half years to actually resolve what that is," he said.

It took more than six months for the men's bodies to be recovered.

Mr Anthony said a similar case of power station collapse in the US that killed two men had been investigated and closed within 18 months.

His petition Justice for the families of the #Didcot4 has received 710 signatures so far.

Thames Valley Police’s Deputy Chief Constable, Ben Snuggs, said: “Our thoughts as always are with the families of the men who died.

“Our dedicated investigation team continues to make continual and effective progress despite the investigation’s almost unprecedented scale and complexity.

“The investigation team continues to meet regularly with all of the families involved in this tragic incident, to provide them with ongoing updates.”