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Botched demolition of Glasgow’s Red Road flats leaves towers standing

Glasgow’s skyline will be changed later with the demolition of the last of the Red Road flats.

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The remaining iconic buildings, which were being brought down together to minimise disruption to locals, appeared to come down simultaneously at first.

But when the smoke cleared two of the blocks of flats were still partially standing.

A Glasgow Housing Association spokesman said: “The original plan for today’s demolition was that ten floors of the blocks would remain for dismantling, post blowdown, by machine”.

It was originally hoped that the demolition of the flats would feature in the opening ceremony of the Glasgow Commonwealth Games in 2014 – but the plans were scrapped due to safety fears.

Tina Suffredini, speaking to BBC Radio Scotland, refused to leave her house and criticised the decision to demolish all six blocks at once.

Controlled explosions were used to demolish the buildings as crowds looked on.

Professor Lynn Abrams, head of modern history, said: “Red Road polarises people”.

“To others, however, it was home”.

What’s been described as a failed demolition left more than 2,000 residents unable to return home.

Questionnaires were completed by a few of the Red Road residents at the time giving an insight into how people perceived new high rise living.

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She said: “I am concerned about everything. It’s going to be so different without them”. Now, a controversial group of high-rise flats have come down – but not without a fight.

Flats in Glasgow are demolished but they're just as hard as the city's people