House wall collapses in Lerwick

The gable of a Lerwick house undergoing renovation collapsed this afternoon, leaving a sizeable hole in the four-foot thick stone wall.

Olaf Isbister said the work was being done up for his mother who had just bought the house and intends to move back to Shetland from Caithness at the end of the summer.

Wall collapse
The collapsed gable in Market Street.

Mr Isbister said that the workmen renovating the house in Market Street heard a rumble and managed to get clear of the debris. It was then decided to call the fire brigade for advice.

Mr Isbister said that the builders, Hatal Joinery and Building, who he has employed before, had merely been stripping the inside walls in preparation for re-insulating and modernising the building, when the gable crumbled. He believed the wall had been damaged in a chimney fire some years ago.

“Hopefully it will not be a major set-back,” he added. “The structural engineer says the front and back walls are sound and the gable was only supporting itself.”

Scottish Fire and Rescue Service area commander Myles Murray said that three fire appliances, police and ambulance attended the scene. Fire crews cordoned off the area till the site was secured. Fire officers then assisted Hydro engineers to cut off the electrical supply.

• On Tuesday morning police advised that Market Street would remain closed until the building is made safe. That is likely to take several days.

COMMENTS(3)

Add Your Comment
  • Andy Hayes

    • May 9th, 2016 19:24

    This was the place with knotweed found in the garden. Was this instrumental in the collapsing wall?

    REPLY
  • john ridland

    • May 10th, 2016 15:40

    3 Fire engines , Ambulance , Police , SIC , Hydro , Water , What the hell was it ,A Bomb.? Another case of H &S gone mad….!!!!!!!

    REPLY

Add Your Comment

Please note, it is the policy of The Shetland Times to publish comments and letters from named individuals only. Both forename and surname are required.

Comments are moderated. Contributors must observe normal standards of decency and tolerance for the opinions of others.

The views expressed are those of contributors and not of The Shetland Times.

The Shetland Times reserves the right to decline or remove any contribution without notice or stating reason.

Comments are limited to 200 words but please email longer articles or letters to editorial@shetlandtimes.co.uk for consideration and include a daytime telephone number and your address. If emailing information in confidence please put "Not for publication" in both the subject line and at the top of the main message.

200 words left

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

logo

Get Latest News in Your Inbox

Join the The Shetland Times mailing list to get one daily email update at midday on what's happening in Shetland.