Forest Hill crane dismantling - latest from site + PHOTO

Work on dismantling the crane which collapsed at Forest Hill, south London, on 11 December, finally got underway this morning - but unexpected ground conditions may cause further delays.

When CJ visited the site at 9am, groundworks were taking place to improve access for the all-terrain crane, supplied by Ainscough, which is being used to take down the collapsed crane (see picture below).

HSE inspector Brent Bolton said the ground conditions were "unexpected". Another source at the site, who did not wish to be named, thought the dismantling of the crane may run into a second day. "It's a tight site and access is tricky," he said. "The close proximity of the railway lines means we have to be very careful."

Bolton confirmed that the delay in taking the crane down was due to having to liase with five different parties, as revealed by CJ yesterday. "We've had to speak to Network Rail, the crane hirer whose crane collapsed, Ainscough, and others, so it took a while to agree a date," he said. "However, we ensured that the crane structure was safe when we visited the site before Christmas."

Only the jib and cab of the crane will be dismantled, with the tower remaining in place. The crane is understood to have been bought by main contractor Deco Design & Build from Gloucestershire firm WD Bennett at least six months ago.

Deco has been unable to work on the site since the accident.

Minor groundworks are taking place at the site in Forest Hill before the stricken tower crane can be dismantled.