CONSTRUCTION union Unite is seeking urgent answers after two men were killed and others were injured in yesterday’s crane collapse.

The accident took place on a residential building site operated by Seddon in Dunwoody Way, where it is understood that a small tower crane which was being erected collapsed.

Unite, the UK’s largest construction union, says the incident killed two workers and wants the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to provide advice to prevent similar accidents in future.

Bernard McAulay national officer for construction at Unite, said: “At this time our thoughts and condolences are with the families of the workers killed or injured in this terrible accident.

“We are currently examining if any of the victims were members of Unite and if so, we will do everything industrially and legally to achieve justice for them.

“Workers on construction sites throughout the UK will now have serious questions and concerns about the safety of similar cranes.

“It is imperative that the HSE investigates and as a matter of urgency provides advice and reassurance to ensure that similar accidents cannot and will not happen again.”

According to Unite, the Government is cutting the HSE’s budget, by 46 per cent by 2020 compared to the funding it received in 2010.

The fatal accident in Crewe follows Unite publishing the findings of a Freedom of Information request to the HSE which revealed that the number of inspections in construction had declined by 14 per cent in the last 12 months.

Unite found that 7,912 inspections were made by the HSE in 2016-17, compared to 9,219 in 2015-16, while inspections in the north west declined by five per cent during this time.

A spokesman for HSE told the Guardian: “HSE is aware [of the incident] and inspectors have been on site assisting the police.”

HSE added that it was unable to comment on Unite’s FOI ‘to ensure the integrity of the investigation’, but that on-site safety is ultimately the responsibility of employers.