A tower block in Walker, Newcastle was demolished in a controlled explosion by three primary school children who won a competition to press the detonation button. Hexham House had been earmarked for redevelopment, with the site cleared for new homes. The first demolition of its kind in 16 years, the youngsters triggered the explosives after a 20-minute delay, due to the final residents vacating the block. Project Manager Paul Tirbitt said “people’s safety is our number one priority.”
Thompsons of Prudhoe were selected by Newcastle City Council to carry out the work. “Little issue” arose early on when those who didn’t wish to leave their properties caused a delay. Former residents were present on the sidelines, keen to watch the procedure.
Frankie, six won her contest of making a cardboard model of the building painted with rainbows while Emily-Jane, nine and Aidan, ten, wrote poems about living in Walker. They were presented with certificates and a cake featuring an image of the building after pushing the button.
Journalist Joshua Aitken, reporting from the scene, noted that the countdown was met with enthusiasm from locals, as this was the biggest event to happen in Walker in years. After the smoke cleared, a flat-topped mound of rubble and concrete shards, 15 metres high, lay in its place.
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