Didcot power station investigation continues five years on

The investigation into a partial collapse at Didcot power station continues five years on from the accident which killed four people.

Michael Collings, Ken Cresswell, Christopher Huxtable and John Shaw all lost their lives following the partial collapse of Didcot A power station on 23 February 2016.

Thames Valley Police said its join investigation with the Health and Safety Executive “continues to look at corporate manslaughter, gross negligence manslaughter and health and safety offences”.

In 2019, it emerged that investigators were sifting through 870 tonnes of evidence related to the collapse.

In 2018, Coleman Group, the demolition contractor at the centre of the tragedy said its own investigations “clearly” showed the cause of the fatal accident.

Coleman director James Howard said the contractor has commissioned its own investigations into the accident.

He said: “In our view, [the investigations] clearly show why and how units 1 and 2 of the boiler house collapsed. We believe the findings highlight industry-wide practices that need to be challenged and reviewed.”

Howard said the contractor was continuing to work with the police and HSE “to understand the cause of the collapse, provide justice for the families, and learn lessons for the industry”.

Speaking on the fifth anniversary of the accident, deputy chief constable Jason Hogg said: “We maintain close contact with the families through our family liaison officers, providing them with regular updates on the status of the investigation.

“We also maintain contact with the Crown Prosecution Service, to provide them with updates on the case.

“I would like to pay tribute to the men who lost their lives as well as their families for showing such resolve over the years that have passed. We remain unfaltering in our duty to fully investigate the collapse at Didcot.”