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Buncefield oil explosion 'continues to dominate headlines' for local paper

The Buncefield Oil Depot explosion and its effects have dominated the headlines for the Hemel Hempstead Gazette for the past year and will continue to do so for many years, according to editor David Feldstein.

While national interest quickly dwindled following the blast on December 11 last year, the aftermath has provided a constant stream of follow-ups for the Gazette – with 14 related front pages for the weekly in the past 12 months and many more column inches inside.

And to mark the one-year anniversary the Gazette team put together a a 48-page pull-out which broke down the whole event, taking a retrospective look at what happened, how the community has moved on and what the future holds.

It included stories from some of those affected, including children, firefighters and council bosses, and documented the cost to the area, the first investigation report and the first compensation payouts.

David said: “It has dominated the headlines for the whole year here as there are so many different aspects.

“The supplement gave us the opportunity to wrap up the whole incident and the effects of it, but in terms of the investigation and its conclusions that will prove more difficult.”

The Gazette also invited to readers to get in touch with their stories via its website, with many who were affected leaving messages saying they felt they had been forgotten by insurance companies and others around them.

This week’s print edition also covered events held to mark the anniversary, including a church service on Sunday and the unveiling of a plaque.

David said: “It has provided us with a huge source of news. Everything leads back to Buncefield, it’s difficult to find anything that doesn’t.

“It was such a huge thing for the town and it is important that it is properly presented.

“You have to weigh that against people who may tire of it, but it’s important to carry on reflecting its effects.

“I think it will carry on for some time and continue to dominate the headlines for years.”

David added: “The team of reporters here has been so good at covering every angle and have remained on top of it and been able to break stories on new developments.

“They have developed good contacts with the emergency services and the investigation team and it has continued to be a team effort.” Do you have a story about the regional press?
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