Work finally starts on demolition of South Tyneside eyesore.
The massive Reyrolle office building in Hebburn, which towers over the town’s Metro station, has stood empty for four years, sparking calls from angry residents and councillors for the seven-storey complex to be flattened.
But asbestos had to be stripped from the 1960s building, and there were also complex negotiations between owners Persimmon Homes and transport officials, because of the close proximity of railway lines.
Earlier this year, police warned that youngsters were dicing with death by trespassing in the building, with four teenagers even spotted on the roof of the property, which was once home to more than 200 members of staff of the Department of Work and Pensions.
Coun Joe Abbott, for the Hebburn North ward, who has pressed for demolition of the building for several years, said: “I’m glad that the work has at long last started.
“Various issues have slowed down the work, and red panels on the building, which are fixed with asbestos-based cement, have still to be removed.
“This work will not happen overnight, and I should think it could take more than three months before the whole building is flattened, but at least demolition has started.
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