Didcot Power Station collapse: Demolition firm loses contract

A boiler house was set for demolition when it collapsed in February

The demolition company working at the site of a collapse at Didcot Power Station has lost its contract.

A boiler house was set for demolition by Coleman & Company when it collapsed in February, killing Ken Cresswell, 57, John Shaw, 61, Michael Collings, 53, and 34-year-old Christopher Huxtable.

Operator RWE NPower said it was ending the demolition contract due to an ongoing investigation.

Coleman & Company agreed it was in the "best interests of all parties".

It had been working at the site for two years before the collapse.

RWE NPower closed the coal-fired facility in March 2013 after 43 years of service, and a programme of demolition work followed.

A major incident was declared at the site on 23 February after the boiler house collapsed.

The remaining section was brought down using explosives in July, but the last of the bodies was not discovered until September.

RWE NPower said it was ending the demolition contract due to an ongoing investigation

In a statement, Coleman & Company said: "We will not be continuing with the remaining demolition and site clearance work at Didcot A Power Station.

"We agreed with site owners RWE, that this is in the best interests of all parties.

"We would like to thank RWE for their support over the last two years.

"All staff working at Didcot will be redeployed across the company, on to other major projects."

The cause of the collapse is being investigated jointly by police and the Health and Safety Executive.

An inquest into the deaths is to take place in November at Oxford Coroner's Court.