Final body found buried in Didcot Power Station rubble 7 months after collapse

Thames Valley Police believe they have located the body of the final victim of the Didcot Power Station collapse. The boiler house at the Didcot A plant partly collapsed on 23 February, killing four men, three of whom lay buried there for months.

The body, discovered on Friday 9 September, is believed to be that of John Shaw, 61, from Rotherham. Thames Valley Police have said that his family have been informed whilst the removal of debris from the site has been stopped as the recovery takes place.

It follows the discovery of the bodies of Ken Cresswell, 57, from Rotherham, on Wednesday 7 September, and Christopher Huxtable, 34, from Swansea on 31 August. The three men have been missing since the collapse of the structure when it was due for demolition.

A fourth man's death, that of Michael Collings, 53, from Brotton, Teesside, was confirmed shortly after a major incident was declared at the site. He was said to have died from multiple injuries.

The operation to recover the bodies was led by Thames Valley Police, Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service's urban search and rescue and the South Central Ambulance Service hazardous area response team.

The collapse left a vast mountain of rubble and twisted metal making the recovery process difficult and hazardous. The remaining section of the boiler house was brought down using explosives in July.

A police spokesman told the BBC: "The safe recovery of the body will take place and the disaster victim identification process will commence. The person has not yet been formally identified and this will be a matter for the coroner, although it is believed to be John Shaw.

"He is the last of the four men to be located following the collapse of the boiler house at the power station in February this year. Our thoughts remain with the families and friends of all four men and we would ask that their privacy is respected during this incredibly difficult time."

The families of the victims had criticised the slow recovery process and in May this year, the company which owns the site, RWE Npower, halted the recovery process saying it was too dangerous to continue.