BOSSES of the company tasked with recovering the remains of men killed in the Didcot disaster have been warned they could be hauled before Parliament if there are more delays.

In a letter seen by the Oxford Mail, Government ministers said there were 'bound to be demands for an explanation' if RWE Power took too long in recovering the victims from the rubble.

They wrote: "The delays to date have caused considerable distress to the families of the men...the longer that RWE takes in providing suitable plans, the greater the cost to all who are affected by this tragic event'.

RWE revealed yesterday that it would blow up the remaining half of the boiler house to help recover the remains of the three trapped men.

The firm said it was necessary to carry out the demolition following the collapse of half of the structure in February. The disaster killed worker Mick Collings, 53, from Cleveland, and buried three others, Chris Huxtable, 34, Ken Cresswell, 57 and John Shaw, 61.

Their families have been campaigning for more action on the recovery.

In the letter addressed to RWE chief executive Peter Terium on June 14, which has only now emerged, minsters Mike Penning MP and Justin Tomlinson MP said the company was "eroding" confidence in its ability to deliver a "safe and effective" demolition plan.

They wrote: "No one doubts there are complex engineering challenges being faced to demolish the existing building safety.

"However, we are struggling to understand how one of Europe's leading power companies operating in high hazard industries and with a reputation for innovation has been unable to marshal its expertise and resources to deliver a timely demolition plan to allow the missing men to be safely recovered and returned to their families."

The MPS warned Mr Terium he and senior management could be called into Parliament for questioning if delays continue.

They also demanded assurances a plan was in place and said they understood the building could be demolished by July 10 but RWE said a decision had not yet been made on the date.

Speaking to the Oxford Mail the widow of Ken Cresswell, Gail, said she was "disgusted" by efforts to recover the men.

The mother-of-three from Rotherham said she was unable to find closure on the "never-ending" nightmare.

She added: "I'm disgusted that the men could go to work on February 23 and just never return. 17 weeks later we have not got them back, when they could go in and get them.

"When this is all over they can leave it, but we have got to live with this for the rest of our lives. They are putting us through hell."

Part of the boiler house at Didcot A collapsed while it was being prepared for demolition by Coleman & Company.

Since then emergency services have been trying to recover the three while police and the Health and Safety Executive investigate the cause.

Brown and Mason took over the recovery operation last month but has not yet complete its assessment of how to demolish the building. RWE, which owns the site, is yet to devise a timescale for the demolition.

Keith Cundall, an expert workplace accident lawyer at Irwin Mitchell, who is representing Mrs Cresswell and Adele Shaw, John Shaw's widow, said: “While the proposed plan of action for recovery has been welcomed by the families we are supporting, there is yet to be a clear indication of when this will take place.

"The lives of the families we represent have been changed forever by the delays in recovering their loved ones and the current situation continues to cause them an unbelievable amount of distress.

"We believe RWE Npower should provide the families with a definite timetable for the next phase.

"The families also want to understand the circumstances and events that led to the accident and we will now be seeking to work with the authorities as we begin our own investigation into what happened."

RWE spokeswoman Kelly Nye declined to comment on the letter.

She added: "We will bring the building down as soon as possible. Once we have determined the final date the families will be the first to know.

"We are continuing to work closely with all authorities involved in the tragic Didcot building collapse and our focus remains on finding the missing men. We have received a letter from minsters responsible for major incidents such as these and we have shared our response with the families."