Promise to taxpayers over Abraham Darby collapse

Taxpayers will not be slapped with a repair bill after part of a steel canopy collapsed at a £35 million academy being built in Telford.

The structure at the Abraham Darby Academy came crashing down on Thursday.

Five workmen were injured, delaying the development in Madeley.

But Nigel Newman, spokesman for Telford & Wrekin Council, today said taxpayers would not pay for the cost of the rebuild.

He said the bill to repair the canopy would be met by developers Kier Group.

He said: "This is a fixed price contract so any additional costs have to be paid by the contractor."

Jane Mason, for Kier Group, said: "I can confirm that there will be no additional cost to the public, but I am unable to make any further comment on this subject for the time being."

Principal Steve Hawke said: "It certainly won't be the council who are meeting the costs. It will come down to Kier and their relationship with the subcontractors. Until such a time the Health & Safety Executive investigation is finished and they find out what the cause of the accident was then there's not a lot we can say."

Fears over a delay in pupils returning to the existing school next week were also quashed today when Mr Hawke confirmed they would return on Monday.

Meanwhile, inspectors from the HSE continued to carry out their inquiries into the incident at the new school, which is being built as part of Telford & Wrekin Council's Building Schools for the Future Programme.