Wembley workers evacuated

[Cookie]

WEMBLEY WORKERS EVACUATED

 

The new Wembley Stadium was evacuated and workers sent home after an incident involving a roof, the GMB union said.

 

Union officials said workers heard "an enormous bang" and it was later discovered a rafter in the roof had failed.

 

No one is believed to have been hurt in the incident but union officials said they wanted a full investigation into what happened.

 

A spokesman for construction company Multiplex said: "Between 8.30am and 8.50am there was a full evacuation of the site - 3,000 people were removed.

 

"Something happened with the roof above certain workers. It was a rafter in the roof that failed while it was being welded. It fell three feet. No one was injured.

 

"It was an isolated incident. Standard procedures were used to withdraw people from the situation.

 

"Engineers are looking at it now."

 

The GMB union said most workers on the Wembley site had been sent home for the day following the incident.

 

Earlier this month, the Football Association announced the FA Cup Final would be played at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium after Multiplex could not guarantee that the £757 million 90,000-seater stadium would be ready for May 13.

 

England's two World Cup warm-up friendly matches -against Hungary on May 30 and Jamaica on June 3 - will now be played at Old Trafford.

 

The FA had already allowed Multiplex to move the completion deadline several times.

 

The original autumn 2005 handover date was pushed back to January 31 2006 and then March 31.

 

Multiplex is expected to lose more than £100million on building the stadium and it is understood the Australian company will be penalised £1million a week for over-running the deadline.

 

No decision has been made on whether several pop concerts in June, including Bon Jovi, the Rolling Stones, Take That and Robbie Williams, will go ahead.

 

A spokeswoman for Wembley Stadium said: "We are still in discussion with music promoters."

 

The stadium was dogged by delays and problems even before the site was sold to the FA in 1998.

 

The original £325million cost has more than doubled and there were numerous wrangles and problems in raising the money before construction

 

got under way.

 

 

[Coffin Ender]

Read in my paper over the weekend that Wembley was already unlikely to be ready for the Community Shield. This will put the opening back even further.

What will be ready first - Wembley or the new Hartsdown?

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[seasidesteve]

wembley definately

[Cookie]

Will be interesing to hear Phil D's side of things concerning this seeing as though he is one of those employees. Well I assume he is, judging by his past posts on the subject.Its over to you Phil!

[Boney Crisp]

Wembley will be ready first as the club will want to change the plans again knowing them.

[jkmaskell]

Well if MFC decide to knock down HDP without planning permission as they are indicating they will do...its gonna be a good while before work even starts on the new HDP.

[phil d]

hello cookie i was pulled of site 3 weeks ago as it is so far behind but have been asked to go back april 1st. i still have a collegue there who informed that it was an old peice of steel structure that had been burnt out that fell. the 4 supports in each corner of the roof area were made redundant over a month ago. thats all for now folks