Oldham lights way high above London

A TEAM of Oldham steeplejacks are owed a debt of gratitude by the people of London.

The specialist workers from Oldham-based Delta International Steeplejacks have completed the final installation of a new, state-of-the-art aircraft warning system.

It is designed to prevent planes hitting the Queen Elizabeth II road bridge while descending into London City Airport.

The bridge, which links the M25 across the Thames in Dartford, previously had an aircraft warning system which was installed during its construction in 1991.

However, changes to Civil Aviation Legislation rendered that system obsolete due to its reliance on white xenon flashers — no longer up to standard.

A tender to update the system was put out by the bridge’s controlling authority. It was won by DSJ’s sister company, Delta Obstruction Lighting (DOL). Both are part of the Delta Group in Wrigley Street, off Greenacres Road.

DOL has a burgeoning reputation for providing innovative new LED aircraft warning lighting solutions.

Managing director Tariq Mukhtar said: “We were delighted to be awarded this job because it is a mark of how far we have come and demonstrates what we are capable of achieving.

“From design to installation there have been many challenges but at each stage our workforce has adapted well.”

The task was to design and manufacture the lighting system at its Oldham factory where a system of six LED lights was developed within one casing — an industry first.

Operations manager Asif Mukhtar led DSJ operatives Mark Butterworth, John Davies and Steve Marshall to London to complete final snagging relating to problems with the old wiring system.

The team scaled the 450ft-high structure daily to modify control panels and interface these with the bridge’s control tower.

Speaking after disembarking the bridge for the final time, Asif said: “Every day on the bridge threw up new challenges. Any job above some of the world’s busiest sea lanes and motorways and below one of its busiest flightpaths involves a high degree of risk, especially in high winds and the biting cold but the team coped very well.”