THREE men working between premises in Grove Street and Queen Street had a narrow escape from injury, and possibly death, when part of an old factory collapsed into the yard where they had been working a few minutes previously.

The three men were Mr John Green of Headless Cross, Mr John Loader of Studley and Mr Green’s father.

They were working in a yard between Mr GH Tolley’s fish and chip shop in Grove Street and the premises of M Cooke in Queen Street.

They were pulling down a garden wall preparatory to rebuilding it and had just walked away to make a cup of tea when the end of the factory building fell into the yard with a roar, covering the area where the men had been working.