DEMOLITION began today at a block of flats left in danger of collapse due to heavy flooding earlier this year.

A demolition crew started dismantling Spencer Court in Newburn, Newcastle, at 8am, after engineers deemed it unsafe to leave standing.

Families from the eight flats were evacuated from their homes on the complex after flash flooding last month posed serious threat to the foundations, already damaged by a culvert collapse on nearby land earlier this year.

An excavator from MGL Demolition began by removing part of the roof of the four-storey building, which was only constructed in 2006.

It is being operated in what is termed a “safe and controlled” demolition, which may allow some property and possessions to be recovered by exasperated residents, who have not been allowed to return to their homes, on safety grounds, for almost four weeks.

As a result the work dismantling Spencer Court may take up to two weeks to complete.

Complex developer Dunelm Homes, of Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, brought in the demolition crew after its insurers gave the all clear for the work to proceed.

Neither Dunelm Homes or Northumberland Estates, which owns the adjoining land under which the culvert collapsed, have accepted liability for the situation.

Newcastle City Council is to carry out an inquiry into the whole saga, which began with the culvert collapse in May, followed by initial flooding with heavy rainfall in June, exacerbated by repeat floods last month.