Living in a hell hole

JACKIE HUNTER: “My front door blew open. When I went outside, I saw the rubble everywhere and it was unbelievable. And I live with that memory every day.”

LOCAL residents say they are living in a “hell hole” a year on from the blast.

Eight homes in Buckley Street have been demolished, and those living nearby say they live with the constant memory of the fateful morning of June 26, 2012. Repairs and rebuilding have continued since the devastation.

Jackie Hunter, who lives opposite the demolished houses in Buckley Street, says she is the only homeowner left on the street.

She spent £40,000 having her house renovated a few months before the blast.

“I’m living on a building site — it’s an absolute hellhole. I don’t get any privacy because there’s builders and their bosses constantly walking up and down. It’s really noisy and I can’t put curtains up as they just get filthy.

“The builders do their best to clear up all the mess — I don’t blame them — it’s just not very a nice place to live.

“I can’t move though. Where would I go? And who’d buy this place? The insurers have paid to have my bedroom redecorated but it is damp already. Something’s not right. It’s been a year and all I’ve done is try to sort out my house. I still have nightmares. I look out of my window and I see the reminder of what happened.”

Patricia Barlow’s home in Oak Street, suffered roof damage: “It was frightening. I heard a massive bang and I saw bits flying off the roofs. It’s not something I ever want to see again. It seems a completely different place now and I don’t know if it will ever get back to normal.”

Nick Bromley and his wife Sharon, were put in temporary rented accommodation in Royton after their Oak Street home was caught in the explosion.

Most of their belongings were destroyed, along with the ceilings and rear wall of the house.

“The work is still ongoing and we are still in Royton,” he said. “We’ve been told it could be finished by the end of July but we’re not sure we want to live there.

“At the back of my house there’s destruction. There’s big gaps where houses should be.”.”