A BUILDER had a narrow escape yesterday after a van crashed into the scaffolding he had been working on minutes earlier.

The worker had only just climbed down when the white van smashed into the structure in Havilland Street at about 12.45pm.

Police cordoned off the area as workers from C. A. Duquemin reinforced the steel supports.

Derek Rossiter, managing director of the company, said his team had put up the scaffolding for a private builder, who wanted to remain anonymous.

‘He was on the scaffolding in the morning, so it was a very close call,’ he said.

‘He came down from it literally minutes before the crash.

‘The scaffolding didn’t actually come down but depending on where he was on it at the time he could have fallen off it.’

A fire crew also attended and discussed with Mr Rossiter how best to make the structure safe.

A police spokesman confirmed the road would now be closed for two days.

‘We are also still investigating the cause of the crash,’ he said.