Pictured: Father-of-three, 60, who was tragically crushed to death by pop-up urinal outside Harry Potter theatre in London’s West End when toilet he was repairing ‘fell suddenly’

• Father-of-three Kevin Holding, 60, died after a hydraulic urinal fell on him 
• Emergency services tried to save him at Cambridge Circus in London in January
• Accident took place outside theatre showing Harry Potter And The Cursed Child

The toilet worker crushed to death by a pop-up urinal in London’s West End has been pictured for the first time. 

Father-of-three Kevin Holding, 60, died at Cambridge Circus on the junction between Shaftesbury Avenue and Charing Cross Road – and outside the Palace Theatre where Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is being shown – after a hydraulic urinal fell on him.

Mr Holding, from Beckenham, was repairing the toilet when it ‘fell quite suddenly’ on him, an inquest into his death. The cause of death was compression asphyxia. He was identified by his Oyster card.

The day after he died, his daughter posted a photo of him with his granddaughter on his shoulders, with the caption: ‘She will know you as the best grandad in the whole world.’

Father-of-three and grandad Kevin Holding, 60, was crushed to death after a pop-up urinal he was repairing ‘dropped suddenly’ onto him

Mr Holding was killed after being ‘trapped’ and ‘crushed’ by a ‘telescopic’ public urinal in Cambridge Circus in central London

An inquest at West London Coroners Court heard it took around two hours for a vehicle to help lift the urinal to arrive. 

Contractor Mr Holding was employed by Hi-tech Washroom Solutions Limited and had started work between 10am and 10.30am on January 27.

He was almost finished when he became trapped a little before 1pm.

Ambulance crews, four fire engines, 25 firefighters and an air ambulance were dispatched at 1.05pm and police were called five minutes later.

The operation was watched by crowds of people enjoying a day out in the West End’s pubs, restaurants and theatres. They were held back by a police cordon.

Mr Holding was freed but was pronounced dead soon after. 

Four fire engines, 25 firefighters and multiple ambulances attended the scene on January 27

Westminster City Council said that it was temporarily shutting down the second of its UriLift toilets, on Villiers Street, as a ‘precautionary measure’

 Later that day the urinal was pictured being lifted up from above as police looked down into the shaft

Telescopic urinals are pop-up facilities that rise up from the pavement for those out in London at night (File image)

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: ‘We’re sorry to have to update that, despite the efforts of emergency services, the man who was critically injured in Cambridge Circus was pronounced dead at the scene.

‘His next of kin have been informed. Cordons remain in place at the location.

‘Police were called at around 1.10pm on Friday January 27, to a seriously injured man at Cambridge Circus, W1.

‘The man is thought to have sustained crush injuries while working on a telescopic urinal at the location.’

A crane was brought to the scene in an attempt by rescuers to lift the entire device out of the ground

The incident took place near The Palace Theatre, which is where Harry Potter And The Cursed Child is performed

A London Ambulance Service spokesman said: ‘We were called today at 1.05pm to reports of an incident on Shaftesbury Avenue, Charing Cross.

‘We sent a number of resources to the scene, including an ambulance crew, members of our hazardous area response team, members of our tactical response unit and a medic in a fast response car.

‘We also dispatched London’s Air Ambulance.

‘Sadly, despite the best efforts of our crews, a man was pronounced dead at the scene.’

A London Fire Brigade spokesman said: ‘Firefighters were called to a person trapped on Charing Cross Road in central London.

Firefighters tirelessly attempted to rescue the man, who was trapped under the urinal

An air ambulance was seen landing in Trafalgar Square while a large number of ambulances and fire engines attended the scene

London Ambulance Service dispatched an Air Ambulance, which landed in Trafalgar Square

A crane was brought to the scene in an attempt by rescuers to lift the entire device out of the ground

‘A man was trapped below street level underneath a hydraulic urinal.

‘Firefighters worked with partner agencies and used a winch to free him.

‘He was left in the care of London Ambulance Service and was sadly pronounced dead at the scene.

‘The brigade was called at 1.05pm and the incident was over by 3.41pm. Four fire engines and around 25 firefighters from Soho, Euston and Dowgate fire stations were at the scene.’

An air ambulance was seen landing in Trafalgar Square while a large number of ambulances and fire engines attended the scene.

A crane was brought to the scene in an attempt by rescuers to lift the entire device out of the ground.

Hydraulic, pop-up urinals were brought into use by Westminster City Council around 20 years ago in an attempt to discourage street urination.

Source: Read Full Article