Demolished at 2.30 in the morning, at a time when the nearby railway line could be closed to trains entering and leaving busy Queen Street Station, the two blocks at Fountainwell Place provided dramatic, free entertainment for those who turned up to view the spectacle.

Impressively, the buildings were brought down with such precision that the railway line on one side was unaffected, as was Sighthill Primary School (closed for the summer holidays) on the other side. The debris fell within the temporary fencing erected by the demolition team, mostly just touching it. Residents in the nearest houses had been moved out overnight, and returned the following morning to a dusty scene and two huge piles of rubble.