Bosley mill explosion: 'Disaster waiting to happen'

Derek Moore, Dorothy Bailey, Jason Shingler and Will Barks have not been seen since Friday

The brother of a man feared dead in an explosion at a Cheshire wood flour mill said it was a "disaster waiting to happen".

One of the two bodies found at Wood Flour Mills in Bosley, near Macclesfield, is "probably that" of Will Barks, police have said.

Kelvin Barks said his brother had often expressed concerns about safety.

Owner Wood Treatment Ltd said it took the safety of staff "extremely seriously".

It said it was "committed to establishing the cause of the incident" and was co-operating fully with an investigation led by the emergency services and Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

'Potential crime scene'

The HSE served the firm with improvement notices two years ago, in which it warned of a risk of an explosion or fire, although the company complied with the notice.

Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday afternoon, Assistant Chief Constable Guy Hindle, from Cheshire Police, said it could become a criminal investigation, describing the site as a "potential crime scene".

A search team is excavating a 25-sq-m area

Kelvin Barks said his brother had not been happy at the mill and had been applying for other jobs.

"He said it was a disaster waiting to happen. He wasn't wrong," he said.

Will Barks, 51, is feared dead along with fellow workers Derek Moore, 62, Dorothy Bailey, 62 and Jason Shingler, 38.

Unstable silos were demolished at the site on Wednesday to allow search teams to continue their work.

'In limbo'

Kelvin Barks said he had been "disgusted" by the lack of contact from Wood Treatment Ltd.

Before and after pictures show the devastation caused by the blast

His father, Geoff Hobson, from Leek in Staffordshire, said he had "heard absolutely nothing" from the company, "except a feeble apology. It's not good enough".

The company has not responded to a request for a comment.

Mr Hobson said the family had been left "in limbo," waiting for confirmation that the body is that of his son.

"This is going to absolutely destroy us," he said.

Mr Hobson added it could take "two or three days" to identify the bodies that have been found.

"They can't identify whether it's male or female because of the state of it," he said.

"His wife is absolutely distraught. They were a devoted couple. This torture she is going through now is the same as what we're going through. We can't get any closure on it," he said.

Missing people

• Will Barks - A 51-year-old father from Leek who has been married for 31 years, has a brother and sister and enjoys building motorbikes

• Dorothy Bailey - A 62-year-old grandmother who only began working at the factory a short time ago, has three sons, five brothers and a sister

• Jason Shingler - A 38-year-old from North Rode, who lives with his girlfriend Nicky and is described as a "kind-hearted" son and brother

• Derek Moore - A 62-year-old from Stoke-on-Trent, who is married with a stepson and has two sisters and a brother

Cheshire Police said: "A body was recovered from the scene on Sunday night. A post mortem has now taken place.

"Formal identification has not been made but, based on the information available to the coroner, indications are that it is probably that of William Barks, aged 51.

"However, further forensic tests are required to corroborate the identification."