Fawley Power Station: Third demolition blast carried out

The latest in a series of explosions has been carried out as part of the demolition of Fawley Power Station on the Hampshire coast.

The oil-fired facility was decommissioned in 2013 after operating for more than 40 years.

A controlled blast at 10:00 BST took down part of the boiler house.

The station's control room - featured in Solo: A Star Wars Story - and its 198m (650ft) chimney will be razed at a later date in the demolition process.

The explosion could be seen across the Solent

An exclusion zone around the site was put in place an hour before the blast and local residents were warned in advance.

The site has been earmarked for development with the planned £1bn Fawley Waterside scheme incorporating 1,500 homes given approval in July 2020.

The land will also encompass a canal, as well as a 2,100-space car park and open areas for the public.

The £1bn scheme on the site of the old power station will include 1,500 homes

The power station, on the western side of Southampton Water, was commissioned in 1971.

It was capable of powering one million homes at its peak, but it fell foul of new emissions rules and closed in 2013.

The roof of the turbine house was removed in the first controlled explosion in October 2019.

A further blast in November 2020 took down the southern section of the boiler house.

Full demolition is estimated to be completed in 2022.

The station's landmark chimney and its "flying saucer" control room are also due to be demolished