The mother of a family whose flat was destroyed by the falling crane has told how she narrowly escaped being crushed to death.

Mother-of-three Sharon Williams, of Thessaly Road, told how her husband was asleep in their bedroom at the time and she had just left for work after swapping car spaces with Michael Alexa, who was crushed.

She said: “We are slowly rebuilding our lives but can never get over losing our most treasured possessions and my husband learning to live with the fact he lived while others lost their lives.

“I quite clearly remember moving my car and Michael moving his BMW into the vacant space – as I left the children were out playing. I came home to total carnage, ambulance and police were present and neighbours crying and I was told someone had died.

“Then I saw him covered in debris, dust, clothes torn, splinters in his skin a bit of glass protruding out from a gash on his leg.”

Mrs Williams said her husband still had flashbacks and she now had a fear of bridges, cranes, wide roads and motorways.