Didcot collapse 10 years on: families speak out over wait for justice

The families of those who died at the Didcot Power Station collapse say they are still fighting for accountability, a decade after the tragedy.

On 23 February 2016, part of a boilerhouse came down with workers from contractor Coleman & Company inside while they were preparing it for demolition 10 days later.

The body of Michael Collings, 53, was discovered soon after, while Christopher Huxtable, 34, Ken Cresswell, 57, and John Shaw, 61, were recovered from the rubble over a two-week period in late August and early September 2016. Five people were injured.

Cresswell left behind a wife, three daughters and two grandchildren. His family said in a statement sent to Construction News that they are still fighting for answers, accountability and justice.

“As we mark 10 years since the Didcot Power Station collapse that took the life of our beloved dad, grandad and husband, the pain remains as deep and as raw as it was on 23 February 2016. The irreplaceable void left in our lives is something we carry every single day.

“Together, as a family, we stand strong in our ongoing fight for justice.”

They added that the family supports the joint Thames Valley Police and Health and Safety Executive investigation as it enters its final stages.

Coleman & Company (now trading as Colemans) has consistently denied responsibility for the collapse.

In December, Thames Valley Police said it hoped its investigation would be completed by the end of 2026.

Investigators have previously said that they were looking into potential corporate manslaughter offences, gross negligence manslaughter and serious breaches of the Health and Safety Act.

The Cresswell family statement said: “After a decade of heartache and waiting, we can only hope that the right thing is done and that justice is finally achieved for all the men who never came home.

“Nobody should go to work and lose their life. Nobody should go to work in the morning and not return.

“Our love for our cherished dad, husband and grandad remains as strong as ever, inspiring us to continue seeking the answers our family has waited so long to hear. 

“He is missed beyond words – every day, every hour, in every part of our lives. His memory guides us, strengthens us and reminds us why this fight for answers and accountability matters so deeply.

“We will continue to stand together, driven by love, determination and the hope that justice will prevail.”

Christopher Huxtable’s daughter, Tia, who was 11 when she lost her father, said the passage of time “feels unreal”.

In a statement, released via Thames Valley Police, she said: “It feels like forever since the day I lost a huge part of me – my amazing dad.

“Ten years on, and there is still no justice for our men. But I truly believe the day will come when justice is finally served – for our men, for us families and for every family affected by that devastating day.

“We must continue to raise awareness worldwide so that a disaster like this never happens again.”

She said losing her father has had a massive impact on her life: “He’s not going to walk me down the aisle. He’s not going to meet his future grandchildren or see the life I build. Those are moments that will always feel incomplete without him.

“But as long as I continue to make my dad proud, I know I’ll be okay.”

She added that she understood that the length of time waiting for answers was due to “making sure the outcome is the right one — the best and fairest one possible”.

“Ten years later, we have never given up on justice, and we never will until the day it is served,” she said.

Sandra Huxtable, Christopher’s mother, said in a statement issued by the police: “This has been the hardest 10 years of my life. No mother expects to lose a child.

“Finally we will get justice so Christopher can rest in peace with his brother Jonathan. I wish to thank Thames Valley Police for all their support.”

John Shaw’s daughter, Kirsty Shaw, described the difficulty in living without answers.

“Time may go on for everyone else; however, my family and I still remember every single moment from that day – from the power station collapse up to the moment he was found and laid to rest.

“It’s been a living hell for the past 10 years and will continue to be until we receive justice and answers as to why our dad, my mum’s husband – and now his granddaughter, whom he was robbed of meeting – is no longer here, all because he went to work on Tuesday 23rd of February 2016,” she said.

The family of Michael Collings said in a statement: “Ten years have passed since you left us, and somehow the world has kept moving, even when it felt impossible. Time will never erase you.

“Your laughter and your smile taught us that joy matters, that life is there to be lived, and that a good laugh can carry us through the hardest moments. We miss your smile. We miss your laugh. And we carry them with us, always.

“Forever loved. Forever remembered.”

Thames Valley Police said in December that if its investigation meets the requisite legal test, it will request a charging decision from the Crown Prosecution Service by the end of the year.

According to the force, its investigation team has collated and analysed more than 6,500 exhibits, 90,000 images and 230,000 digital media artefacts.

More than 180 hours of video witness and suspect interviews have been recorded, in addition to 2,839 statements taken.

In a new statement today, deputy chief constable Ben Snuggs said: “We are as committed today as we were on 23 February 2016 to diligently and rigorously investigate this tragedy, which is shown through our unprecedented work alongside our partners over the last 10 years.

“We remain confident our investigation for this complex case will be finalised this year, as we said last month, to ensure the families get the answers they deserve.”