Glasgow high-rise towers demolished in seconds

Three 1960s tower blocks have been brought crashing down in seconds by demolition experts, changing the skyline of northern Glasgow.

The 26-storey towers at Wyndford Road were destroyed using using controlled explosions to make way for nearly 400 new homes.

An exclusion zone and temporary evacuation centre were set up as residents from 240 nearby properties were asked to leave during the operation.

A fourth high-rise block will also be taken down as part of the redevelopment using a piece-by-piece demolition technique.

The Wyndford estate was built in the Maryhill area of the city, on the site of the old Glasgow City barracks, with the high storey blocks completed in the late 1960s.

The four 26-storey blocks and several smaller high-rise buildings at one point provided homes for around 6,000 people.

Some residents had campaigned against the demolition plan, arguing instead for a retrofit option.

But owners Wheatley Homes housing association claimed the flats were not fit for purpose and could not feasibly be altered to meet modern floor space standards.

The 600 flats in the high-rise blocks will be replaced by 386 affordable homes.

The masterplan for the redevelopment includes a community hub with a hall, café, meeting rooms and computer access.

Trisha Rankin delivered papers in the flats as a teenager.

Locals gathered near the estate to watch the demolition, with some saying it brought back memories for them.

Trisha Rankin used to carry out a paper round in the towers as a teenager and seeing the buildings torn down was "very emotional".

She told BBC Scotland News: "I'd start at the top and work my way down with my big bag of papers. Not every person would get them delivered but there were a lot – I'd get a lift up, start at the back of six and I'd be a few hours going up and down the stairs.

"Those flats were really good, there was a lot of lovely families in there and a lot of pensioners. Through the years they've moved on and the flats started deteriorating - it was time to bring them down."

Ms Rankin added that the work was a "big change" for the entire area,

Alasdair MacMahon stayed in the flats during the 1980s, and still lives locally.

He said: "There was a good community spirit there but I feel the flats have served their purpose."

The Wyndford estate was built on the site of Maryhill barracks in the 1960s

Residents were asked to leave their homes on Sunday morning and were offered breakfast and lunch at a nearby secondary school which was used as an evacuation centre.

People living within the exclusion zone were offered Tesco gift vouchers, worth £100, as compensation for the disruption.

St Gregory's Catholic Church, located nearby on Kelvindale Road, had its stained glass windows covered with protective sheeting.

Misting systems were being used to minimise dust after the demolition but residents had been advised to shut windows, keep pets indoors and cover fish ponds and rabbit hutches.

People with respiratory conditions were also advised to avoid the area.

Clean-up teams carried out street sweeping and jet washing after the explosions.

The redevelopment will see new 386 new rental homes constructed

Frank McCafferty, Wheatley's group director of repairs and assets, said the work represented a "new dawn" for the area, which would now be transformed "for generations to come"

Chris Quinn, co-chair of the Wyndford Futures Focus Group, added: "This is a really exciting time for Wyndford. We are looking forward to working with everyone in the community on future plans which will create a better Wyndford for everyone."

Around 85% of the new homes planned for Wyndford will be for social rent and 15% for mid-market rent, while other plans for the area include a new community centre, which will be owned and managed by Glasgow City Council.