THE Southway house where an explosion killed schoolgirl

Stephanie Hammacott has been demolished.

Number 4 Bulteel Gardens was yesterday pulled apart by heavy

machinery and the rubble removed to a contaminated waste

site.

Nine-year-old Stephanie died on Tuesday, January 8, when the

gas explosion brought down a wall on top of her as she walked

to school.

A week after the tragedy, contractors arrived with two swing

shovels and destroyed the remains of the end-of-terrace

property.

Workers were careful to avoid asbestos contamination as the

charred walls, floorboards and wooden beams, were ripped apart

and placed in a large skip, together with carpets and household

goods.

Many neighbours who were evacuated after the explosion had

returned to their homes the previous day. The residents of

number 4 – Harriet and Ron Cloke – are being rehoused.

Ann Harrison, a Bulteel Gardens resident who helped the Clokes

from their home on the morning of the explosion, is back home

after a week staying with her in-laws.

As the demolition started just metres from her front door, she

said the community was still reeling from the events of January

8.

“There’s so much going on at the moment, it hasn’t all fallen

into place yet; there’s a sort of lull across the place at the

moment,” She said.

“When everyone finally goes home – the workmen and emergency

crews – I think it will hit everybody. But how do you get back

to normal?”

Passerby Lin Pirie, manager of Star Cars, said: “I’m lost for

words, like everybody else. We’re still speechless –

heartbroken.”

Nearby, on a grass verge overlooking the scene, well-wishers

continued to add bouquets to a growing row of floral

tributes.

The site of the demolished house is expected to be cleared of

rubble and fenced off by this evening.

A council spokeswoman said the demolition was being carried out

for safety reasons because the property was beyond repair.

“Number 3 is not a council-owned property and the owners are

discussing the way forward with their insurance company,” she

said.

She added that the council would not make any plans for the

future of the site of number 4 until it had spoken to

Stephanie’s family at an appropriate time.

Police commander, Supt Andy Bickley, said the investigation,

being conducted with the Health and Safety Executive, was

moving forward but it was still too early to pronounce on the

cause of the explosion.

“Over the last week a huge amount of ground has been covered

and now it’s a case of assessing all the information and

evidence that’s been brought forward,” he said.

“It’s too early to give a categoric and definitive statement

regarding the cause of the incident.”

A postmortem on Stephanie’s body took place on Thursday and the

inquest was opened the following day.

A date for her funeral has not yet been set.