Explosions rock homes and blow out windows

Windows in at least two nearby houses were shattered by the force of the blast.

Lorraine Steele, 42, of The Boulevard, Durrington, was told by police on Sunday afternoon of the demolition plans but says she was given no indication that the blast could shatter her five-year-old daughter's bedroom window, which it did.

"Before all this happened, a policeman came round and said that the road was going to be blocked and that he wanted us to stay indoors while the explosions were carried out," she said.

Luckily, as it was the school holiday, her daughter, Emily, had been up later than usual.

"Had it not been half-term, my daughter would have been in that bedroom."

Mrs Steele told the police what had happened and was given the number of the demolition company to arrange replacement of the window.

But she said an official from the demolition company told her the firm was well aware of the possibility of the glass breaking '“ and that the police should have told her. "I'm pretty angry that nobody told me anything about what could have happened and that nobody's apologised for it," she said. "It's just lucky it's half-term."

Safety officials had decided the only way to bring down the remains of the giant 100ft crane was to blow it up because it was too dangerous to dismantle.

At 7.30pm, they blew the mangled green crane free of the red one and then detonated explosives at the base of the red crane. It did not fall. Explosives experts had to re-lay charges and blow it again, almost an hour later.

Disturbed by the first two explosions, a crowd of neighbours gathered outside their homes, near Centenary House. Floodlit, mainly by the fire engines, the red crane swayed precariously in the gusting winds before a third and final explosion finally brought it to the ground.

Tony Welch, of Blenheim Avenue, had his bedroom window blown out by the force. He said he was not given any notice there was going to be explosions.

"The one that blew this window out shook the house completely," he said. "My wife was cooking and the saucepans left the cooker.

"I did not realise what had happened until I saw a fireman outside who told me. It is just one of those things."

A police spokesman said: "We took the advice of the demolition experts and did all that we could to safeguard and make sure people were aware of what was going to happen. We certainly knocked on all the doors in The Boulevard and told people to stay in their homes and keep their windows shut.

"We felt we did all we could, based on the advice we were given."