Explosion homes to be demolished

Monday's explosion destroyed four houses and damaged others

Demolition work is due to start on Monday on five homes devastated by an explosion last week.

The explosion in Canterbury, Kent, damaged 19 properties, with one house and four flats so badly hit they are being knocked down.

The dangerous condition of the homes had hampered investigations into the cause of the explosion, with the buildings not considered safe enough to enter.

One man remains in hospital with serious burns.

Eight homes empty

The explosion happened in Tenterden Drive at about 1900 BST last Monday.

Residents from 19 properties had to leave their homes, but 14 households have been allowed to return - though not all of them have.

Canterbury City Council's Head of Housing, Velia Coffey, told the BBC on Monday morning eight homes were still not being lived in.

She said this was either because they were deemed to badly damaged to be occupied, or because landlords had rehoused tenants while repairs were carried out.

New accommodation is being sought for the people whose homes are being demolished.

Contractors are due to begin the demolition work on Monday, once police have agreed it is safe to do so.

Four to five weeks

Ms Coffey said it was likely to take the rest of the day to make the structure safe enough for police and insurers to begin investigation work.

But total demolition is estimated to take four to five weeks, as it has to be done on a piece-by-piece basis to minimise disruption to tenants who have moved back in.

Initial inquiries into the cause suggested gas had been involved.

An investigation carried out for gas company Transco found there was no fault with any of equipment it is responsible for - pipes and other gas equipment up to the doors of private properties.

Kent Police are waiting to speak to the injured man, who has been treated at the specialist burns unit at Queen Victoria Hospital in East Grinstead, West Sussex, but he has so far been to ill to be interviewed.