Work delay meant man avoided scaffolding collapse (From East London and West Essex Guardian Series)
A night worker should have been arriving home when 100 yards of scaffolding crashed to the ground in high winds outside his house, he claims.
Abdul Khan, 42, said he finished work later than usual, meaning he arrived home at 7.30am this morning, rather than the normal time of just before 7am – the time of the collapse in Francis Road, Leyton.
“It was just unbelievable,” he said.
“I’d been delayed at work by 30 minutes. I’d just finished a night shift and missed it happening by 30 minutes.
“It’s something you don’t expect to see.
“My wife normally parks right out the front and my first thought was ‘Where’s the car?’
"But she couldn’t fit it in the normal spot and parked it across the road.”
The car suffered minor damage and a plank of wood smashed through the glass in his front door.
Shop fronts in the street are currently being refurbished by council contractors.
No one is reported to have been injured, but around a dozen cars are believed to have been damaged.
Aaron Clapton, a builder working on a site in Albert Road who said he had experience in scaffolding, saw the damage when he came to get breakfast this morning at around 8am.
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“I couldn’t believe the whole thing had come down in one go,” he said.
“The plastic surrounding the scaffolding which stops dust and rubbish coming down on to the shops has acted as a big sail and the wind has pulled the scaffolding clear away."
The business that erected the scaffolding on the opposite side of the road, Dragon Scaffolding, declined to comment.
It is not yet known if they are responsible for the collapsed scaffolding.
Zulfyqar Rafiq, owner of Fiza’s Halal Meat, said the scaffolding had been in place for around three weeks.
“We'll only be shut for one day and then hopefully back to business as usual,” he said.
London Ambulance Service have said it was not called to attend any storm-related incidents this morning.
