Flat demolition death 'avoidable'

An accident in which a woman was killed by flying debris while watching the demolition of a Glasgow tower block could have been avoided if there had been more safeguards, according to a report published yesterday.

Helen Tinney, 61, of Gorbals, died from head and neck injuries when she was struck by a piece of concrete during the blasting of the Queen Elizabeth Square flats last September.

The report by Sheriff Archibald McKay says the accident was caused by the failure of protective shields to stop flying debris and the inadequate extent of the safety exclusion zone surrounding the flats at the time of the demolition.