Ironbridge cooling towers demolition: Watch the dramatic moment iconic power station chimneys collapse

This is the dramatic moment the cooling towers at the historic Ironbridge Power Station were demolished.

Hundreds gathered in Shropshire to watch the four giant chimneys collapse at 11am on Friday.

Videos shared on social media show the towers crumbling to the ground in less than 10 seconds after several loud explosions.

Plumes of dust and smoke could be seen for miles across the county as the iconic structures fell into the surrounding forest.

Residents who lived close to the power station were advised to close their windows, avoid hanging washing out and keep their loved ones indoors ahead of the explosion, according to local media.

People with respiratory conditions were also reportedly told to stay away from the blowdown after dust was thrown into the air.

A 350-metre exclusion zone and road closures were put in place.

Several people on Twitter described the scene with sadness as they watched the 50-year-old chimneys fall.

Carl Jones tweeted: "A strange sense of sadness, seeing the end of the iconic Ironbridge power station towers this morning."

Sarah Wheale-Smith said: "A sad farewell to four icons of the Ironbridge landscape".

When it opened in 1969, the power station was one of the largest of its kind in the UK.

It produced enough electricity for the equivalent of about 750,000 homes.

In 2015, the station stopped production. Now its demolition will make way for 1,000 homes, a school, shops and other infrastructure.

The masterplan for the site is expected to be submitted to both Shropshire Council and Telford & Wrekin Council before Christmas, and could take about a year to be approved, according to the Shropshire Star.

The four 120 metre-high cooling towers reportedly cost more than £10 million to destroy, the publication reported.

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