A FAMILY whose lives were destroyed by the power station collapse say they still cannot come to terms with the tragedy one year on.

Ken Cresswell, 57, from Rotherham was one of the four demolition workers to be killed when half of the boiler house collapsed on February 23.

For seven months, Mr Cresswell’s wife Gail and their daughters endured an agonising wait as recovery workers searched the 30ft deep pile for his body.

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The family of Mr Cresswell outside the power station 

Steve Hall, Mr Cresswell’s son-in-law, said: “It is just unbelievable that it is already a year since our lives were changed forever.

“We will never be able to come to terms with how our family was destroyed.”

Mr Cresswell and his colleagues John Shaw, 61, also from Rotherham, Chris Huxtable, 34, from Swansea and Mick Collings, 53, from Teeside had been at Didcot Power Station to prepare for a controlled demolition.

Finally in September, the family were able to bring him home and were joined by hundreds of residents at his funeral at Rotherham Crematorium.

But the four families are still waiting to find out why and how their husbands, brothers and fathers died as police continue to lead the investigation into the cause of the collapse.

Mrs Cresswell said: "We know nothing.

"The last time we heard from the Health and Safety Executive was in November, it’s horrendous.”

Lawyer Keith Cundall representing three of the four families and said all of them are still battling for answers.

He added: "The lives of the families we represent have been changed forever and the uncertainty about the current situation continues to cause them an unbelievable amount of distress, particularly after the ordeal they went through before their loved ones were finally recovered.

"The families want to know why this terrible event occurred and we will support them in getting the answers they deserve."

MP for Rotherham Sarah Champion said Mr Cresswell and Mr Shaw’s wives were ‘tigresses’ as they continued to fight for information regarding the investigation.

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Sarah Champion 

She said: “It has been a living hell for them.

“They still have not had closure as they have another battle to fight, to find out what happened to their men on that day."

Despite all the heartache, Ms Champion said she has been impressed by the ‘astonishing’ support from Didcot residents.

She added: “Whenever I am in London I will get someone come up to me from Didcot.

“They tap me on the shoulder and ask me to pass on their messages of love and support to Ken and John’s families.

“Because their men died in a strange town, far from home, it means the world to the families to know that their husbands and brothers and fathers were surrounded by love.”

Owners of the site RWE will lay flowers down and hold a private minute's silence for the families today.

Kelly Nye, a spokeswoman for the company, said: "Our thoughts are with the families of Mick Collings, John Shaw, Ken Cresswell and Chris Huxtable at this very difficult time.

"The tragedy has had a huge effect on everyone involved at the site and the teams will come together quietly to remember the men who lost their lives and all the emergency teams who worked tirelessly following the tragic incident."

Town rallies in support

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Residents bring cakes for the rescue teams accepted by Nigel Silcock

A TOWN with a big heart rallied together to do what they could to help those left devastated by the boiler house collapse.

The tragedy at Didcot Power Station last year sent shockwaves throughout the community and moved residents to leap into action.

Mums and schoolchildren baked dozens of cakes and set up fundraising pages to help support the families of Mick Collings, Chris Huxtable, Ken Cresswell and John Shaw.

Des Healy, who was mayor at the time, said he remembers saying in the aftermath of the disaster that Didcot was a ‘little town with a big heart.’

The town councillor added: “I think that still rings true a year on. From the number of people who have signed the book to the number of people who still stop me in the street and ask about it.

“Didcot cares and will always care about the power station and the people who worked there.

“They understand that it could have been their brother, father or husband.”

A book of condolences was set up at Didcot Civic Hall three days after the tragedy and is still available for residents to sign.

Mr Healy added: “The district councils organised the books for us. We hope when they are sent to the families that they will be of some comfort to them.”

Mum-of-two Nicola Hutchings, who lives in Great Western Park, rallied people together in the days after the collapse to bake cakes for the emergency services working around the clock 

The 34-year-old, who baked 40 on her own, said: “I just felt like I wanted to do something, but didn’t know what to do. I didn’t want to badger the emergency services, but we thought by doing this we were doing our bit. This community is amazing, we all support each other.”

Mrs Hutchings also organised a collection surpassing £1,000 for the four families, and youngsters at Stephen Freeman Primary School hand made cards of sympathy for them.

But the Reverend Hannah Reynolds of St Peter’s Church, Didcot, said despite a year of investigations, the families still do not have closure.

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Reverend Hannah Reynolds

She said: “The four families are awaiting answers.

“They have not had any closure, this is a heartbreaking situation for them.

“Our hearts go out to them because they have lost so much and we are very conscious that they are hard working families and their dads went off to work in a strange town and they never came home.”

The bells of All Saints Church sounded out in September as people joined in prayers and hymns at a memorial service after the bodies of the men were recovered from the wreckage

Reverend Reynolds added: “Didcot will never forget.

“The power station is a part of us and the memory of the four gentleman will always live in the town.”

Former workers pay tribute 

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A FORMER worker at Didcot Power Station says he will visit the site and lay flowers to honour the four men on the anniversary of their deaths.

Tim Jones, who lives in Oxford, had been working as a burner at the site until January last year when his contract ended.

He said: “My heart sank when I heard the news.

“I remember sitting on the sofa with my friend when I found out.

“He just turned to me and said ‘that could have been you’.”

Mr Jones said he wanted to pay his respects to Mick Collings, Ken Cresswell, Chris Huxtable and John Shaw who died when half of the boiler house collapsed on February 23.

He added: “I think it’s important for me to go up and lay some flowers by the site.

“I need that moment on my own to have a little thought for them all.”