RIVER Clyde Homes has successfully demolished the last standing multi-storey block in the Belville area of the east end of Greenock by controlled explosion.

Hawick Court, which sat at the top of a prominent hillside site, was built in the late 1960s as part of a high-density housing development of seven high-rise blocks and other property types in the Belville Street area of the town.

The other six blocks have been demolished in recent years and Hawick Court, which comprised 76 housing units, was blown down in the early hours of Sunday morning.

Some 40kg of explosive were used in the controlled explosion, which took place at around 4am.

Preparatory works by contractor SafeDem had been on-going for some months. These included removal of all timber, internal fittings and fixtures along with cutting out and drilling for the blowdown.

A total of 117 adjacent households, were evacuated as part of the operation.

Door-to-door visits to affected households took place to ascertain residents’ evacuation requirements. Once cleared of the 7.5 tonnes of debris, the site will be landscaped and used as a car park for nearby properties.