Bosley Wood Treatment owners issue statement

The owners of Bosley Mill have said they “share the pain of the community”.

Three bodies have been recovered from the devastated Wood Treatment Ltd plant in Bosley. There have been postmortem examinations, with police confirming that remains retrieved on Thursday were those of 62-year-old Derek Moore.

The other two bodies that have been recovered are thought to be William Barks, 51, and Dorothy Bailey, 62, although formal identifications have yet to take place. Their colleague Jason Shingler, 38, is still unaccounted for following last Friday’s blast.

Wood Treatment Ltd said in a statement that it was devastated to have received confirmation of the deaths. “They were all highly valued members of staff and our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with their families at this difficult time,” the company said.

Its primary focus was to support the families of those affected by the explosion, other employees and the local community as best as possible while the factory and facilities remain closed, the company added. “The mill has been part of village life in Bosley for almost 90 years and we share the pain of the community.

“We have made contact with all four families and are discussing how best we can help them. We are also supporting our other employees and a counselling service is available for anyone who wishes to use it.”

Wood Treatment Ltd, which has been accused by some of an alleged lack of sympathy, said it was “absolutely committed” to establishing the cause of the incident. “We will continue to co-operate fully with the emergency services and health and safety executive. Company staff have been on site since last Friday assisting the authorities.

“We take the safety of our employees extremely seriously but it would be inappropriate to speculate about the circumstances of this incident until the full investigation is complete.”

Family members of the four employees gathered at Bosley Methodist chapel on Thursday before visiting the explosion scene. Some carried bouquets of flowers inside, which were later laid down in respect for the victims.

Assistant Chief Constable Guy Hindle, from Cheshire police, said: “For their own reasons [the families] would like to see the level of activity … to search for the missing people, and also to pay their respects and understand the nature of the scene. That’ll be a difficult time for them all.”

Among the relatives in attendance was Kelvin Barks, William Barks’s brother, who spoke of his disbelief. “It’s shocking to see the magnitude of what has gone on there. I was just numb,” he said.

“You just could not believe… the fires are still burning and they have constantly got hoses out. It’s colossal down there. Basically, it’s devastation really.”

Paul Hitchen, from Urban Search and Rescue, said: “The scale of the incident is unprecedented in this country in the last 10 years.

“It’s extremely dangerous and arduous for the rescuers. There’s a massive amount of metal, concrete and brickwork which we need to move to continue the search.

“The priority is the rescue of the casualties. It’s not possible to say yet when we will find the fourth body.”