THE contractor demolishing Didcot Power Station has been removed from the recovery operation to find three trapped men following the collapse of the site's boiler house in February.

Coleman and Co will hand over their duties to another company "within the next few weeks" as the search for three demolition workers trapped underneath the remains of a 10-storey building continues.

The reasons for the change in contractor were to safeguard employee welfare and to preserve "critical evidence".

It has been almost 10 weeks since half of the boiler house collapsed, which killed worker Mick Collings and trapped Chris Huxtable, 34, from Swansea, Ken Cresswell, 57, and John Shaw, 61 both from Rotherham.

Since then, a recovery operation has been launched, but the men are yet to be found.

The families of the three missing recently protested against site owners RWE plans to use explosives to bring down the remaining structure.

They said it would be the “quickest and safest way” for recovery works to continue.

A statement from Coleman & Co said they found it "hugely disapointing" they would no longer be involved in the recovery work.

It added: "We have now reached a stage where we will be handing over the remaining recovery operation to another contractor within the next few weeks.

"This is of course hugely disappointing as we all wanted to recover our friends and colleagues and return them to their families.

"We wish to make it clear that this decision in no way diminishes the excellent work that everyone involved in supporting the recovery has done.

"The praise we have received from RWE, the police and HSE for how we have conducted the recovery since it began, in these tragic and difficult circumstances, reflects the dedication and commitment we have to each other and the business.

"We understand these reasons and our immediate focus is to ensure that we continue with the recovery operation for as long as we are permitted and at the same time, work collaboratively to facilitate a seamless transition so that the recovery operation going forward proceeds without delay."

The demolition company will remain as the principal contractor for the wider site and will resume their work once the recovery operation is complete.