Scale of Didcot A investigation ‘almost unprecedented’
Published 26 February 2018
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Thames Valley Police (TVP) has described the scale of the investigation into the Didcot A power station as “almost unprecedented”.
Speaking on the second anniversary of the disaster, TVP assistant chief constable Jason Hogg paid tribute to the four men who died following the collapse of the boiler house at the station.
Michael Collings, Ken Cresswell, Christopher Huxtable and John Shaw died and a number of men were injured on 23 February 2016.
ACC Hogg said: “This is a highly complex and almost unprecedented investigation in terms of scale and the volume of evidence that has been collected so far.
“I am aware of the need for answers as soon as possible, however we have a duty to thoroughly investigate the circumstances surrounding the collapse and we will not compromise on this.”
He said more than 1,900 statements have been taken from witnesses and a number of individuals and companies have been interviewed under caution, each of which has taken several hours.
Hogg also said evidence had been taken from around 50,000 tonnes of material from the four boilers, each of which weighed around 15,000 tonnes. Evidence gathering continues from boilers 3 and 4.
Nearly 4,000 pieces of evidence have been collected including 1,600 from the boiler houses.
Health and Safety Executive (HSE) chief inspector of construction, Peter Baker, said the agency was working “tirelessly” with TVP to get to the bottom of the boiler collapse.
He said: “This investigation will also find out if any criminal offences have been committed. The incident at Didcot was unique and the investigation is highly complex, both in scale and nature and therefore will take time to conclude. HSE has a dedicated team of inspectors, specialists, engineers, scientists and support staff working very closely with the police on this joint investigation.”
At a pre-inquest review into the deaths, which took place earlier this month, TVP said corporate manslaughter investigations are continuing into the four deaths.
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