t has been 10 years since the Didcot power station’s partial collapse which killed four men, but families are still waiting for answers.
Demolition workers Michael Collings, Ken Cresswell, Christopher Huxtable and John Shaw were killed on February 23, 2016.
The boiler house had collapsed at the disused coal-fired plant which was being prepared for demolition.
It took more than six months for the men’s bodies to be recovered, prompting criticism from their families at the time.
Steve Wright, a firefighter who was watch manager of the Didcot fire crew, was one of the first on scene.
On Sunday morning (February 22), he shared pictures of the destruction along with a picture of himself and the fire crew hours before it happened.
“This watch photo was taken that morning, hours before the incident in the afternoon.
“Our thoughts remain with those we couldn’t get to when we arrived as the first crew.
“Ten years on, still no official answers.
“The families and those of us who attended – need to know.”
In December 2025 Thames Valley Police announced that its joint investigation with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) will conclude soon.
Police said that at the conclusion of the investigation, if the requisite legal test is met, the investigation team will formally request a charging decision from the Crown Prosecution Service before the end of 2026.
The force added that the families of the four victims had been updated along with partners witnesses and interested parties in the probe.
Deputy chief constable Ben Snuggs said in December: “We are confident our dedicated and complex investigation into the partial collapse of Didcot Power Station will be complete next year.
“Our joint investigation with HSE is almost unprecedented in its scale, and we have also been working closely with the CPS to enable us to get to this position.
“We remain fully committed to fairly and thoroughly investigating offences including corporate manslaughter, gross negligence manslaughter and Health and Safety at Work Act offences, while supporting the victims’ families by keeping them updated, along with all witnesses and interested parties.”
The police reported that, to date, more than 6,500 exhibits, 90,000 images and 230,000 digital media artefacts have been examined by the investigations team.
More than 180 hours of video recorded witness and suspect interviews have been conducted, and more than 2,800 statements taken.
The final interviews with suspects and key witnesses are being completed while expert evidence is being gathered, and additional specialist opinion has been requested.
Thames Valley Police said the investigation team, which has been actively working on the case since the collapse, remains “fully staffed with dedicated investigators” from both the police force and HSE.
