Yorkshire families still fighting for justice six years after Didcot Power Station collapse

A Yorkshire MP said it is “shameful” that families of the men who died in the Didcot Power Station collapse six years ago are still fighting for justice.
By Nathan Hyde
Published 24th Feb 2022, 16:00 BST

Sarah Champion, MP for Rotherham, said the investigation must be “brought to a swift and successful conclusion” to provide the bereaved families with answers and prevent people from dying in similar incidents.

Kenneth Cresswell, 57, and John Shaw, 61, who were both from Rotherham, Christopher Huxtable, 33, from Swansea, and Michael Collings, 53, from Saltburn-by-the-Sea, died after the partial collapse of the boiler house at the Didcot A plant in February 23, 2016.

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They had been preparing the disused coal-fired plant in Oxfordshire for demolition.

Kenneth Cresswell, 57, and John Shaw, 61, Christopher Huxtable, 33, and Michael Collings, 53 died after the partial collapse of the boiler house at the Didcot A plant in February 23, 2016.Kenneth Cresswell, 57, and John Shaw, 61, Christopher Huxtable, 33, and Michael Collings, 53 died after the partial collapse of the boiler house at the Didcot A plant in February 23, 2016.
Kenneth Cresswell, 57, and John Shaw, 61, Christopher Huxtable, 33, and Michael Collings, 53 died after the partial collapse of the boiler house at the Didcot A plant in February 23, 2016.

Thames Valley Police and the Health and Safety Executive are currently conducting a joint investigation, to consider corporate manslaughter, gross negligence manslaughter and health and safety offences.

Ms Champion said the collapse had left families in Rotherham with “profound questions about how this could possibly have happened”.

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She added: “Sadly, six years on, those questions remain unanswered. A police investigation into the causes of the collapse and possible criminal offences remains ongoing, with no time scale for prosecutions and no end in sight.

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Sarah Champion, MP for Rotherham, said the investigation into the Didcot Power Station collapse must be “brought to a swift and successful conclusion”Sarah Champion, MP for Rotherham, said the investigation into the Didcot Power Station collapse must be “brought to a swift and successful conclusion”
Sarah Champion, MP for Rotherham, said the investigation into the Didcot Power Station collapse must be “brought to a swift and successful conclusion”

“The families deserve better. While the investigation is incredibly complex, the truth is vital, not only for the bereaved, but to ensure nothing like this can ever happen again.

“I have urged the Home Office to ensure the investigation has the resources it needs to be brought to a swift and successful conclusion.

“Nothing less is acceptable. It is shameful that we have to fight for justice, but we won’t back down from finding out the truth.”

Thames Valley Police’s Deputy Chief Constable Jason Hogg said the investigation is ongoing and the force cannot say when it will be completed.

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He added: “Thames Valley Police and the Health and Safety Executive remain entirely committed to this extremely complex and challenging investigation and we maintain close contact with the families to provide them with regular updates on progress.

“We also continue to update the Crown Prosecution Service.

“Further interviews with key witnesses and suspects are planned and will be conducted in due course as we continue to progress the investigation into what happened.

“At this time we cannot put a timeframe on when the investigation will conclude, however I would like to be very clear that we will not stop in our pursuit of answers for the families.”