GONE IN SECONDS; Tower blocks' explosive finale.

Byline: SANDY McKENZIE

IT will take just seconds for two Middlesbrough tower blocks, which have stood for more than 40 years, to be razed to the ground.

Glentworth House and Fulbeck House are being demolished on Sunday, August 16.

Explosives will detonate in each building to bring them down in a controlled explosion.

It is part of a pounds 5m regeneration programme in the area by Erimus Housing.

Erimus Housing has engaged MGL Demolition of Durham to carry out the work.

Contracts director Derek Watt said structural engineers had surveyed the buildings and that determined where the charges were placed and to what depth.

Work has taken place to remove asbestos and other materials from the two buildings.

In each tower block 900 holes are being drilled for the explosives. They are linked with around a kilometer of detonating cord.

Glentworth House will collapse first with Fulbeck House following two seconds later.

The explosives are being placed on the ground, first, fifth, eighth and 12th floors of the 16-story tower blocks. Starting from the ground floor there will be a 200 millisecond gap between the explosions on each floor.

It means each tower block will lean slightly before collapsing in on itself.

When the dust settles there will be 12,600 tonnes of debris to clear from the sites.

"We have a very good recycling policy and 98% of the material will be recycled leaving only 2% to go to landfill," said Mr Watt.

It is expected to take six weeks to clear the sites which will then be grassed over.

A 400-yard exclusion zone will be imposed around the two buildings for safety reasons on the day. Residents from 398 properties will be moved out on the day between 9am and 10.30am. It is expected people will be able to return home from 12.45pm.

Erimus is running a raffle to chose who will press the button to detonate the explosions. The winner, who will be drawn on Monday August 10, will be given VIP treatment on demolition day and all money raised will go to Zoe's Place.

Tickets cost pounds 1 and are available until Tuesday from the Evening Gazette office on Borough Road; any Erimus Housing area office; Homechoice on Corporation Road; Centre North East on Albert Road; Rivers House in North Ormesby Road; the Residents' Resource Centre at Cinderwood Thorntree; or from Erimus Housing's resident involvement team on 01642 256170.

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PLAN: Derek Watt THE END IS NIGH: Glentworth House, right, and as seen from Fulbeck House, above