Didcot A corporate manslaughter investigations continue

Corporate manslaughter investigations are continuing into the deaths of four workers following the collapse of the boiler house at the former Didcot A power station nearly two years ago.

Detective chief inspector Craig Kirby of Thames Valley Police (TVP), who is leading the ongoing investigation, updated the Oxfordshire Coroner at a pre-inquest review at Oxford Coroner’s Court yesterday (31 January).

Four men – Michael Collings, Ken Cresswell, Christopher Huxtable and John Shaw – died following the collapse of the Boiler House at Didcot A Power Station on the 23 February 2016. The accident also led to several men being injured.

Kirby said TVP and the Health and Safety Executive had jointly set up a dedicated Major Incident Room, which continues to investigate corporate manslaughter, gross negligence manslaughter and serious offences under the Health & Safety at Work Act (1974).

He said an initial advice file had been submitted to the Crown Prosecution Service on the 29 December 2017 for advice on the investigation.

However, Kirby told the court it was “not possible” to give an anticipated completion date for this work, due to the complexity of the investigation and the volume of material being examined.

He said the recovery of evidence on the site continues to be a key line of enquiry to understanding why the boiler house collapsed.

The clearance of boilers 3 and 4 is likely to continue until the spring; the first two having been demolished by September 2016.

Kirby said the site remains a crime scene with a 24/7 police guard and more than 1,921 witness statements have been taken by the investigation team.