Father upset over blast findings delay
Thursday 10th June 2010, 12:53AM BST.
The father of one of the victim’s of a huge gas explosion in Shrewsbury today expressed his frustration that they still did not know the cause of the blast, six months after it happened.
Steve Godbold, father of Scott, said he had been told by the Health and Safety Executive that a report about its findings was almost complete and should be ready by the end of the month.
But a spokeswoman for the HSE would only confirm today that the investigation into the explosion at the corner of Bridge Street and Smithfield Road on January 3, which left 12 people injured, was “ongoing”.
Mr Godbold said the families were frustrated at how long it was taking for the HSE to reveal its findings and claimed it was holding up the healing process.
He said: “I called the HSE at the beginning of last month and they told me that they were expecting the full results on June 17.
“I rang again a couple of days ago and the report still isn’t done. They are telling us they expect it to be ready by the end of the month.”
Asked if they had concerns over how long it was taking, he said: “Absolutely, it’s disgusting, we can’t move forward with any litigation claims until it is sorted. Obviously Scott will be making claims for his injuries and losses and we can’t move forward until the HSE decide whether there is any responsibility.”
He added: “Scott is really going through the mill at the moment.”
Mr Godbold said Scott and his partner Sarah Pearse, who was also badly injured, had suffered emotionally following the blast.
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