A TOWERING giant which has dominated the Huncoat skyline for more than 40 years bit the dust at high noon yesterday.

A loud blast shook the ground and the 350ft chimney crumpled and crashed to the ground.

The collapsing chimney disappeared in a huge cloud of dust, reduced to 5,900 tonnes of rubble on the former power station site.

Hundreds of sightseers turned out with their cameras to witness and record the toppling of the derelict eyesore.

The controlled explosion went ahead on schedule and the chimney fell as planned towards the north east, on to the foundations of the already demolished turbine hall and boiler house.

A total of 30 kilograms of nitroglycerine-based explosive was used to blow the brick-built stack of the former power station, which closed in the early 1980s.

The explosive was placed in 37 holes drilled in the front two piers at the base of the chimney to determine the direction it would fall.

John Faulkner, explosives engineer for demolition contractor Able UK Ltd, said: "It was absolutely spot on, plus or minus the bit of tolerance we always allow."

Ten people were evacuated from six cottages inside a 300-metre exclusion zone.

Demolition personnel armed with two-way radios ringed the no-go zone and the demolition went ahead between train times on the nearby East Lancashire line.

Police closed Altham Lane for less than 15 minutes until the all-clear was given. A 50mph matrix was displayed on the M65 and police patrols ensured motorists did not stop on the hard shoulder or on the A56 Accrington easterly bypass.

Sergeant Nigel Walker, traffic management officer for the Hyndburn area, said: "There were quite a lot of spectators who were all well behaved and kept well away from the exclusion zone."

National Power agreed to foot the bill for the demolition of all the remaining structures, with the exception of the administration block, which was sold by the CEGB, despite being involved in a long-running legal wrangle over ownership of the site.

As well as National Power, the complex litigation involves Smiths Metal Alloys which went bankrupt and a developer, Humberside Commercial Properties, which went into liquidation.

Following protracted attempts to reach a negotiated settlement, National Power applied for the courts to rule on ownership and appointed demolition contractors earlier this year.

National Power chartered surveyor John Dobson said: "We have a decision saying it should go to court for determination and have applied for a date for the hearing."

If the courts find in their favour, National Power will consult Hyndburn Council on the sale of the site and possible redevelopment.

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