Didcot A Power Station's demolition date announced

Three of the six towers at the south Oxfordshire site are set to be demolished this year

The demolition date of Oxfordshire's Didcot A Power Station has been announced.

RWE NPower confirmed three of the southern cooling towers will be demolished in the morning of 27 July.

The company said the date and time of the work had been "the subject of careful consultation".

The demolition of the cooling towers is expected to take less than a minute, with the rest of the site taking up to three years to clear.

'Significant day'

A spokesman for the company said: "This is just the first milestone in the demolition of Didcot A Power Station but will be a significant change to the local landscape.

"We understand that the power station has been part of the local community for more than 42 years and for many people the demolition of these first three cooling towers will mark a significant day for Didcot and Oxfordshire."

RWE NPower closed the coal-fired facility in March 2013 after 43 years of service.

It said police, the Health & Safety Executive, Network Rail and traffic management had requested the demolition take place early on a Sunday morning to minimise disruption.

RWE Npower sold part of the site of Didcot A Power Station to Clowes Developments in April for commercial and residential use.